A New Start
by Slumsy.69
Summary: Full Summary Inside
1. Story Summary

(Alternate Timeline following Sub-Zero)

Kuai Liang x Hanzo Hasashi

* * *

Kuai Liang could not control himself once Hanzo died. The man he loved had taken his soul with himself to his grave. He could only feel pure rage and cold fury puppeteering him.

Fueled entirely by his dark, chilling emotions, he got ahold of Kronika's time-bending powers. As he begins to reset time using the Hourglass, his mind could only ponder on the most important things in his life: His clan, his brother, Bi-Han, and his lover, Hanzo Hasashi.

But will resetting the timeline truly help the Cryomancer set things right, or will it only bring worse events?


	2. 1: An Ending and a Beginning

First of all, I am sorry in advanced if the story seems rather inaccurate from MK's story. I recently got really into MK, but I have seen a bit of gameplay from a few of the older games. I only know some of the plot due to reading up on the storyline.

Second: I also am sorry if I wrote Kuai Liang, or any of the characters for that matter, wrong or badly. This is kinda just how I feel like the characters speak. :/ I could be wrong with their dialogue though. 😬

Lastly: Excuse any typos or mistakes you see. I wrote this late at night and don't have a beta reader to help me. :P

* * *

"Wait!"

Her voice called out loudly as she stumbled to the floor, clutching her body in visible pain. Her hand weakly rose towards the man in front of her.

"I can change this." She mumbled meekly. "I can bring forth your best wishes and desires, turn them into reality. Please, spare my life, and I will do what you ask of me."

The man's eyes pierced at her with a cold intensity, as ice shards began to collect on his balled-up fists. He went towards the Titan and gripped her neck furiously. He hastily snatched her headpiece, discarding it to the side. His focus was primarily on the Titan that had disrupted everything he and his companions had built on.

Blistering thoughts and chilling emotions were his only fuel left. He held no need for mercy anymore. His beloved was not spared, and now the indirect cause of his demise was going to suffer the exact same fate.

"You will never bring me my desires or wishes, for you were the sole reason they were taken from me." His bone-chilling voice echoed. "My clan, my brother... My..."

He halted his words, before the Titan's eyes widened a bit. He slowly let go of her neck, standing at his full height. She gave a small sigh as she began to speak.

"I know you are hurting inside..." She said softly. "But with my power, I can bring him back. I can restore everything back to its original state once more...!"

The Cryomancer stood like a statue, facing her, but his eyes fixated on anything else but her. He felt his eyes threatening to spill, something he almost never felt.

"Or I can even replace him with anybody else." Her words snapped him back, piercing his heart again. "The sands can bind to give you anyone or anything that your heart desires!"

His cold fury finally froze his heart over once again. In only a few seconds, using his Cryomancy, he created dual ice hatchets, before slamming them down onto the Titan's arms. Her cries of pain brought a sick pleasure to him, pushing him to lift her armless body to full height.

With a dead voice, he spoke.

"Nobody can replace those that I held close to my heart." He said as he began to freeze the Titan solid. As ice began to crawl throughout her body, he spoke to her one last time.

"Nobody can ever replace Hanzo...!"

The Titan had now turned into a statue of ice. Anger still in his system, he shoved her to the floor with immense strength. She instantly exploded into a million shards of frozen-over flesh. His brows furrowed in frustration as he gave out a sound of satisfaction.

As his attention now began to focus on the deceased Titan's Crown, he felt his body become overwhelmed by an immense power. The man looked at his hands as they began to give off a soft, blue glow, something unlike his telltale cryomancy-related glow. He could feel the energy and intensity that the dead Titan had given off when she still lived. He knew what was occurring.

Kronika's powers had gone to him now. He had the power to bend time to his liking now. Along with her Crown, he had the ability to reset everything that had occurred. He could bring Bi-Han back. He could restore the Lin Kuei's honor...

"Hanzo..."

Kuai Liang gripped the Crown in his right hand, feeling the energy from the souls contained by it. His thoughts became scrambled as they went to different places in his heart. He thought of his brother, consumed by darkness and death. He thought of his clan, the one that had been desecrated to nothing more than once. He thought of Hanzo Hasashi, once his sworn enemy and rival, only to become the man that had stolen his heart. He loved all three, but how could he bend the sands to his three most desired things?

The only thing he could think to do was rewind to the beginning, pondering on any ideas he could use.

Kuai Liang first decided on helping his own blood, Bi-Han. He went back to his own childhood, where he began to scope out the things that had caused his brother to embrace corruption and death. He needed to know why his brother had allowed himself to be used like a marionette, treated like nothing more than a slave for Quan Chi.

Years and years passed like mere minutes as Kuai Liang found more and more signs of the vileness Bi-Han took into his heart. He was gaining ever closer to the key to saving his brother's soul.

The history between him and his brother played right in front of his eyes. Kuai could see himself, a young boy still rather joyful and naive, despite the vigorous and physically tiring lifestyle he shared with his brother. He could see Bi-Han too, the teen masquerading his agony and misery behind a false sense of joy. He had only done it for his younger brother's sake.

Kuai Liang longed for joy and innocence like that once more, but he knew his duty wasn't to abandon Earthrealm. He could easily bend time to allow himself to live a peaceful life with Bi-Han, but he just could not. He had sworn to both Raiden and himself that he would protect the realm as long as he still lived. He had sworn to restore his clan's honor.

He had sworn to help his late lover, Hanzo.

...

Kuai wished deeply that he had stayed with the man in Outworld. He had felt so guilty once the man's younger self broke the news. His thawed out heart had begun to freeze over once more. That blistering cold feeling in his heart and soul had been driving him, fueling his hunger for vengeance. He felt he had nothing to live for anymore.

His clan was massacred and cyberized. His brother had held a firm grip on his darkened heart. His lover was gone now. He had nothing anymore. If he had died trying to kill the tyrannical Kronika, he would have accepted his fate.

But now, he wielded the power to bend time. And as he finally saw what had caused Bi-Han to be contaminated with darkness, he began to rewind time once more. He needed to see Hanzo's past now. He knew exactly why the man had become the way he had. He held the knowledge to help prevent the man from being murdered and revived. With his power, he could go back and prevent these horrible things.

And though his heart ached to do so, he knew that in order to help Hanzo stay sane and alive, he'd have to prevent the massacre of the Shirai Ryu and the deaths of Harumi and Satoshi, the man's passed wife and son. Despite the pain within him, Kuai Liang was willing to sacrifice his love for him so the man could live happily with his real family, the one he had lost.

Kuai Liang's fingers twirled slowly as he began to stop time when the Shirai Ryu had been attacked by Quan Chi. He molded the sands of time, preventing Bi-Han from doing Quan Chi's task of retrieving the Map of Elements.

Kuai let the events unfold, but to his dismay, he saw the event still occur. He could see Hanzo's wife and son die right in front of his eyes. His brows furrowed as he turned back time again, trying once more to stop the deaths.

It still occurred, nonetheless. The deaths still came. This time, however, the Cryomancer could see Hanzo, in his human form, mourning his family's deaths.

"No." Kuai Liang mumbled as he looked at the Hourglass's projection. "No. NO. NO!"

Again and again, the man tried to save the woman and child. Again and again, he only saw their death's. Again and again, he saw Hanzo collapse in tears and sorrow.

He felt his heart racing more, as if he were chasing a dying hope. He needed to continue though. He wanted to do anything for Hanzo.

And yet, his efforts were in vain. The event still happened. Kuai Liang wasn't sure how long he could take seeing this heart-wrenching scene play over and over again.

He could only come up with one conclusion - He could not save Harumi and Satoshi, no matter how hard he tried. Nothing he did had worked. The Hourglass, despite its immense power, had not been powerful enough to stop this.

All he could do now was allow himself to be put back into the timeline. He'd always have Kronika's power within him, even if he was a human. The only thing he could do for Hanzo now was help him as best as he could once the time came. When the time was right, he would help take away the man's pain and hate to try and bring him life once more.

Kuai Liang had finally set time back to his childhood, right after he and his brother had been taken to China by their father. This was just the right time. His vast knowledge would now help him in creating rights from past wrongs.

The Cryomancer looked back at the Hourglass's room one last time, Kronika's remains still in their place, though long since thawed out. He sighed lightly as he let the Hourglass do its duty, resetting everything and transporting him into the new timeline.

Kuai Liang turned to dust, as did the Titan's remains and the room in which the two had once been in.

* * *

"Kuai..." He heard his name being called out by a long since forgotten voice. "Kuai, wake up. It's late."

Kuai Liang fluttered his eyes open as he came face to face with the ceiling, the one that had once belonged to his childhood resting area. He propped himself up with his elbows, seeing his brother, Bi-Han. He felt a certain longing to just hug him and apologize for everything that had happened, things that were preventable. He quickly stopped himself from doing just that, for he feared it could expose his secret.

"I'm sorry, Bi-Han." The child-like voice that came from him had been rather startling. "I... had a night terror last night, but I didn't want to bother you. I just stayed up until I fell back asleep. I am sorry for being irresponsible."

Bi-Han shook his head, before stepping towards his younger brother. The teen ruffled his hair as he smiled lightly.

"You should have awoken me, brother. You know I do not mind when you need me for something."

"I know... I just felt bad." Kuai said, remembering well that his brother had trained even more vigorously than him. "I know you train so hard every day. I do not want to tire you even more."

"Do not worry about it, Kuai Liang." Bi-Han said with a smile. "I can handle it all just fine."

Kuai Liang could only smile brightly in return. He missed his brother's care very much so. Years of mutual hate with his brother had hurt him. He felt rejuvenated, not only because of his now younger body, but because of the love and care he had once had with his brother. It was a treasure he wasn't aware he needed until now.

And, as he watched Bi-Han leave the room, he only hoped that the many years to come would create memories much better than those original ones that he held with a pained fist.

* * *

"Go on, Kuai Liang! You can do it!" Bi-Han shouted ecstatically, watching from a distance as his younger brother had now been tasked to perform his cryomantic attacks on a rag doll. The young boy was still a novice, still trying to learn how to do a simple icy wind. He was hoping that today his sibling could finally perform a better attack.

Kuai Liang prepared himself, facing the doll with a fixed gaze. He felt many eyes on him, including that of his brother's. As much as he wanted to, he could not perform powerful attacks just yet. He needed to prevent any suspicion from being aroused.

He slowly shut his eyes, focusing his icy powers into his hands. He felt his small fingers beginning to grow cold. His eyes quickly opened again, and in one quick movement, pulled his arms back and shot small, sharp dagger-shaped ice shards at the doll.

The object had been pierced by a small amount of the shards, many of them simply hitting the rag doll and falling to the floor. Despite that, it was a spectacle nobody had actually expected.

Kuai Liang smiled as he turned around, seeing Bi-Han slightly shocked. His brother quickly ran towards him as other Lin Kuei members and elders applauded for the boy.

"That was fantastic!" Bi-Han exclaimed as hugged Kuai Liang quickly. "Where did you learn to do something like that?"

"I..." Kuai tried quickly to think up of something. "I don't know. I just focused on the rag doll and let myself go. I could feel my fingers freeze up when I did that."

"Well, however you did that, you need to learn how to control it soon." Bi-Han said as he kneeled to his brother's height. "You can use that to your advantage in any battle. You can even train to fight against Kombatants from other locations!"

Kuai Liang nodded to his brother, masquerading his worry. He knew exactly what that could potentially lead to. He had already known that joining that specific tournament was to bring his and his brother's deaths. In his mind, he promised to himself that he would try his best to prevent those events from ever happening.

But for now, all he could do was train more and more for other events due to happen eventually, the ones he'd be ready to change.

* * *

Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter.

I promise, Subscorp will come in eventually. For now, things just have to unfold on their own accord. :)


	3. 2: Strife and Struggles

Excuse any typos or mistakes. Also excuse any inaccuracies I may have made. I am not too educated in MK lore or in clans either. :/

Warning: Graphic violence and hints of domestic/child abuse ahead.

* * *

"New members?" Bi-Han questioned, his right brow raised. "We do not usually get new Lin Kuei members."

The elder in front of him just gave him a blank look, before leaving the teen's presence. Bi-Han had no idea who these newly recruited Lin Kuei members were. Nobody had joined the clan in quite some time, so this news had been quite a surprise. Nonetheless, he was ready to see just what these new members were made of.

Bi-Han quickly began to head towards his sleeping quarter, where he knew that Kuai Liang was residing currently. He felt the need to tell his brother of the news he had received. Perhaps this could even open up the chance of him and his brother gaining friends. The two, despite being kind and rather humble with other Lin Kuei members, had not become good friends with anyone. Arguably, their clan strictly prohibited friendships or relationships, only allowing trust to be held. Friends and lovers were only distractions and burdens, at least from what the elders and the Grandmaster would say. Still, Bi-Han couldn't help but feel just a hint of yearning for another companion.

Bi-Han entered the sleeping quarter, finding Kuai Liang watching the night sky from his window. The boy looked so focused, almost as if he were contemplating or pondering on something serious.

The teen decided that the news was more important than his brother spacing out. He went up to Kuai Liang, snapping his fingers near his face. The boy quickly jerked into a stern position, his face stone-like and serious. However, once his eyes recognized Bi-Han, his face smoothed out, becoming gentle and relaxed. He gave a small smile to his older brother.

"I'm sorry, Bi-Han." Kuai Liang mumbled. "I was looking at the night sky and lost track of time."

"Be more alert next time." Bi-Han warned, his tone a bit stern. "You don't know when an elder may come by. Both you and I know they do not like when a member is not focused on their surroundings."

The younger boy only nodded in response. Bi-Han could only give a sigh and a tiny grin. As he was about to talk with his brother again, he quickly remembered the news he was given.

"That reminds me, Kuai Liang." The teen started. "There are some new people joining the Lin Kuei."

"New?" Kuai Liang gave a fake tone of confusion. He knew exactly who they were.

"Yes. They'll be coming here tomorrow. Expect to see them in the morning."

Bi-Han began to turn away, ready to leave the room, when he turned around again.

"Kuai Liang... Do not try and befriend the new members. It is in the best of both of our intentions..."

Kuai Liang only watched as his brother left the room. He already knew he was due to befriend the newcomers, despite the rule prohibiting this. He knew that Cyrax and Tomas would be his friends, though their friendship would stay under the radar for a long time.

Sektor was the one he also knew he would never really connect well with. Even now, as a child, he seemed a bit too... out there. Being the son of the Grandmaster, it seemed at times as if he earned just a bit more pampering than the typical Lin Kuei member. Despite that, though, he still suffered the same vigorous training the others went through.

Even thinking back now, Kuai Liang could tell things were not due to change between him, Cyrax, and Tomas. The three stayed friends, at least until both him and Cyrax were cyberized by Sektor. He knew Tomas had saved him, and he had saved Cyrax, even if it meant the man/cyborg had sacrificed his life to save him. The three had fought for each other.

And even if Tomas was stuck in the Netherrealm and Cyrax had been lost in the Cyber Lin Kuei factory's destruction, Kuai Liang knew they'd always be friends.

He could not say the same for Sektor, for he was not there for him, neither for Cyrax or Tomas. He only cared solely for the Lin Kuei, never about his companions. He was the reason both him and Cyrax were corrupted in the first place.

Not anymore though. Kuai Liang made it his duty to try and prevent his good friends from being cyberized. He held no care for Sektor, both his old timeline form and his current form. He felt that any efforts he put into helping the boy would only be in vain.

All Kuai Liang could think about, while laying on his makeshift bed, were his two friends, the ones he had not had a chance to see for years.

* * *

Kuai Liang felt a tinge of excitement swimming inside his body as he stood still, lined up along with other Lin Kuei members. He watched as a few Elders began to appear from within the Temple, the Grandmaster walking in front.

The eldest members continued moving, till they stopped in their tracks. They slowly moved aside, kneeling to the floor, allowing two young boys to step forward. The first one, sporting a yellow outfit, looked around curiously, while the other boy, dressed in black, parted his white hair away from his eyes. Unlike the African boy in yellow, the pale Caucasian boy watched carefully, intrigued a bit. However, they both seemed to hold determination in their eyes as well. They slowly made their way towards the Grandmaster, who stood poised and tall.

"State your names." The Grandmaster's voice sounded.

The white-haired boy spoke first.

"I do not have a name." The boy's voice echoed. "And neither does my friend here. He was never given one. He escaped Africa in hopes to achieve a new life here in China. I do not have any memory of my life at all."

"How did you find out about the Lin Kuei?" The Grandmaster asked sternly. "Our clan is secretive, known only by its own members. If you have knowledge of its existence, then it is in our best intentions that we find out how you are aware of our clan."

"My friend was approached by a member of your clan, as was I." The white-haired boy said. "They wanted to take us by force, wanting to see if we could be capable of your clan's vigorous training."

"They tried to take us, but... I did something. I did some sort of magic trick and I was able to escape the clutches of your member. I helped my friend and we tried our best to fight against the two men."

"After they saw the thing I did and how skilled my friend was in hand-to-hand combat, despite his young age, they offered to take us again. They told us about being housed and taken care of by your clan. We had no other choice but to go. We only had each other's company to keep us alive while being in the streets."

The Grandmaster only gazed at the white-haired boy, while the boy with yellow tried to stay in position. Silence played out for a short period of time, the Grandmaster thinking deeply.

And it was only after 30 seconds that the Grandmaster finally spoke again.

"Show me your trick, young man." The man said loudly. "I want to see if you truly are qualified to be here or not."

Kuai Liang saw as young Tomas nodded, stepping away from the young Cyrax. The boy backed away a bit, putting a bit of distance between himself and the Grandmaster. The leader's eyebrows lowered in question as the boy paused and stood in a fighting stance.

Kuai kept his eyes on Tomas, as did all the other clan members. He waited to see that telltale power that he knew well.

The white-haired boy began to scrunch his face, while he began to quiver a bit. Some began to grow visibly confused and worried as they thought that the boy was only overexerting himself.

But, when they had least expected it, Tomas retracted his left arm to his side, while he positioned his right arm in front of his chest. At the same moment, the boy levitated into the air and shot forward, becoming a cloud of grey smoke. The cloud stopped right next to the young Cyrax, who looked at his companion with slight pride.

Tomas emerged from the cloud, which had rapidly cleared away, leaving only small traces of itself on the boy. Smoke puffed out from him as he looked to the Grandmaster, who looked relatively pleased.

"Very impressive, young man. Very much so."

Tomas only bowed a bit as a thanks.

"And what about your... 'friend'?" The Grandmaster said those words with just a little bit of venom. "Is he truly good at physical kombat?"

"Yes, he is."

"Well then," The leader said. "Let's test that claim."

"Kuai Liang!" He started. "You will face the unknown boy in yellow in Mortal Kombat."

Kuai froze. He didn't recall this occurring at all. He hadn't needed to fight Cyrax during his own timeline. What had he changed that caused this to occur?

"Kuai Liang! Come here and face your opponent!"

As much as he hated to do so, he obliged to the Grandmaster's demand. He walked away from the others, letting out a sigh as he slowly reached Cyrax and the Grandmaster.

"Now, we do not play lightly in this clan. If either boy is defeated, you are allowed to kill them. If you show them mercy, then you will be punished by being prevented from retrieving meals for an entire week."

Kuai Liang only nodded, as did Cyrax. The two got into fighting position, before the leader spoke again.

"Ready."

Kuai Liang gazed at Cyrax, his eyes painfully watching the boy he called his friend before.

"Fight!"

Cyrax got the first hit, as he quickly did a low kick to Kuai's feet. The Cryomancer quickly got back up and sent a fist flying towards the other boy's face. He felt his knuckles connect with a jawbone, a feeling he had grown to know well.

He quickly backed away as Cyrax delivered an uppercut, nearly hitting his lower jaw. Kuai backed away just a bit more, before he ran towards the boy and sent a hard kick to his body. The African boy tumbled to the floor in pain, tears pinpricked in his eyes. Despite that, though, there seemed to be that flare of determination in his eyes as well.

And that was what caught Kuai Liang off guard. He had not expected Cyrax to rapidly approach him. He also did not expect the boy to hastily fling a sharp rock at him, cutting a small opening on his forehead. And he had not expected the boy to pin him to the floor, punching him repeatedly in the face.

Kuai Liang panicked as he tried to escape Cyrax's clutches. He tried to push him off, but the boy just did not budge. He was running out of time now, as he felt himself slowly beginning to succumb to unconsciousness.

He had no choice. He needed to use more of his own Cryomancy now.

Kuai Liang focused deeply, shutting out the pain in his face. He began to focus the power of ice and cold into his hands. He needed to do it now. This was his last resort.

He rapidly began to freeze Cyrax in place, which let him escape the trap he was in. He got to his feet as Cyrax bursted out of the ice shell he was in. A scowl grew on the African boy's face, before he ran towards Kuai Liang again.

But, once he reached him, the Cryomancer simply side-stepped, before sending an ice-coated fist into the boy's face. That punch sent the boy to the ground, knocking him out cold.

Kuai Liang could hear a few cheers as he heard the Grandmaster speak over the other sounds.

"Finish him!" His voice sounded out, tone dark and pleased.

Kuai Liang looked up instead, gazing at his brother, who only watched with no expression at all. He then looked to Tomas, who had sadness veiled over his face. He finally stopped and looked at Cyrax, who was beaten badly and bleeding from his nose and some cuts on his face.

He simply shook his head.

Kuai Liang put his hands to his side as they went back to normal. He looked to his leader, who already began to grow angry, as shown by his expression.

"I said 'Finish Him'!"

Again, he shook his head in disapproval.

"There is no shame in showing mercy, Grandmaster." Kuai Liang began. "I believe everyone needs a chance to show that they are capable of being great. I believe everyone deserves a right to live. I believe he deserves a second chance."

The Grandmaster quickly walked towards Kuai Liang, before he smacked him hard on the face.

"Do not dare defy me, you spoiled child!" The man hissed lowly. "I took you in only because of your father's reputation and the powers you and your brother inherited. If it weren't for those two things, I would have left you two out on the streets to die!"

Kuai Liang only stared intensely at his leader. He could hear quick, small steps coming their way. Something inside him knew it was his brother.

"Do not speak or treat my brother like this, Grandmaster!" Bi-Han loudly spoke. "You can treat me that way, or even treat my father that way... But I will not allow my brother to simply be smacked around and yelled at!"

"YOU DO NOT HAVE ANY AUTHORITY TO SPEAK THAT WAY TO ME, YOU IMPRUDENT BOY!"

"Do whatever you'd like with me! I hold no care anymore! But, just spare my brother this one time!"

The Grandmaster looked at the two brothers with disdain and disgust.

"Send Kuai Liang back to his sleeping quarters. He shall go hungry for this entire week."

"And Bi-Han? You're being spared an intense punishment. You, too, will go hungry. Although what you did was beyond disrespectful, I do respect the leadership and responsibility you employed to help your brother."

The brothers sighed softly.

"Thank you, Grandmaster." Bi-Han mumbled, bowing to the man, before grabbing his brother's arm and taking him back to their sleeping quarters.

Kuai Liang looked back one last time, seeing Tomas aiding Cyrax, who was still collapsed in the floor.

He wished he could help his friend.

* * *

"What on earth were you thinking, Kuai Liang?!" Bi-Han shouted. "He specifically told you not to spare the opponent. It was a simple direction. All you needed to do was strike him one last time!"

"But brother, he is just a boy. He is my age! I don't want to kill someone like me!"

"Kuai Liang, listen to yourself! We are assassins! Ruffians! We are not saints. Our duty is strictly to just kill anyone we are tasked to kill!"

Kuai Liang looked at his brother with shame.

"Perhaps it's time we moved away from our genocidal past." He said. "We should be wasting our efforts for the betterment of Earthrealm!"

Bi-Han only shook his head in response to the statement.

"Earthrealm does not need our help. They are doing fine just on their own. They don't need assassins, thieves, and mercenaries to help protect them. They need heroes, like the Great Kung Lao, to protect them!"

Kuai Liang wanted to continue ranting, but he felt it was pointless. He needed to cool off instead. His brother needing to do the same.

He looked out the window again, seeing the sky beginning to grow dark with clouds.

This new life proved to be harder than he had anticipated.

* * *

...

"Are you sure you can handle this?" The man asked. "This is not an easy thing to do. You will be training night and day for the rest of your days here. You will not be given mercy if you choose to neglect our rules. You will be taught our lifestyle and you will hold it to heart till you die."

"I am doing this for my mother." The boy murmured, his gaze fixed on the floor. "I do not care for myself. I am joining for her sake and safety."

The man only nodded.

"And how are you aware of this clan?"

"My father was once a member." The boy now looked at the Grandmaster. "He prohibited me from ever joining, but now that my mother and I are suffering from poverty, I am willing to sacrifice myself to retrieve what we need to survive."

The older man nodded again.

"A very honorable cause." He admitted, his voice soft.

The Grandmaster extended his hand. The boy took it in his own grip and shook it.

"The Shirai Ryu welcomes you, Hanzo Hasashi..."


	4. 3: Cleaved

Kuai Liang watched silently from his bed as Tomas and Cyrax prepared their own makeshift beds. They left their belongings - two shopping bags with clothes inside - to the side as they finished up their area of the room.

He cringed a bit every time Cyrax would accidentally look his way. He could see fire in his good eye, the other eye puffy and darkened to a sickly purple and black. The boy was not at all on good terms with Kuai Liang.

But he hadn't known it would come to this. Kuai was not aware this would happen.

And this wasn't supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to fight Cyrax. The two had become friends quickly when they met, even if they had kept it secret from the Grandmaster.

Things had changed... His influence had already begun to scramble events from his original past. Kuai Liang grew worried, knowing that this could signal that he may have been ruining paths in time that held significance, while also creating ones not yet made. The thing was, these newly created paths were unknown territory. He was unsure what stood ahead in time if he continued to go on.

"Kuai Liang, go wash up before you rest." Bi-Han's voice snapped him back to attention. He simply nodded, before getting out of his bed and walking out of the room, pacing towards the restroom.

As he walked, however, he could hear almost inaudible footsteps behind him. It seemed as if the person behind him were trying to sneakily reach him. It did not work the way they had wanted. Kuai Liang had learned to be alert of his surroundings. In his old life, he had even learned the footsteps of his close companions, including those of... Hanzo's.

Dark thoughts began to cloud his mind and he could hear the footsteps in his ears beginning to quiet down. He was losing focus as he began to slow his steady pace. He needed to push away those thoughts, and he very much so wanted to, but the thought of Hanzo stuck to his mind like glue.

Kuai Liang could still hear those footsteps, light, almost like air. He could still see his stern, life-hardened face, feel his radiating fire, hear his deep, yet spine-tingling voice. He yearned for those moments.

He just wanted Hanzo back. All he wanted was-

Kuai Liang was shoved to the floor, his arms twisted behind his back by someone else's grasp. He groaned angrily as pangs of pain shocked his arms and jaw, which had been slammed against the hard cobblestone floor. He tried to wriggle out of the position, but it only resulted in his attacker applying more pressure and strength on him.

"Not so strong now, huh?" A child's voice growled angrily. Kuai's eyebrows slanted downwards once he realized who it was.

"You." He let that word spill out of his gasping lungs. "W-Why are you... doing this?"

"You humiliated me...!" The African boy hissed. "You put shame upon me, and in front of the Grandmaster too. I do not want to forgive you, even if my friend had asked me to do so."

Kuai tried to move again, but only felt pain again.

"Please, don't do this. I did not mean to humiliate you. That was not my intention at all."

"Then why did you not kill me?" The boy asked. "I am less than worthy in the eyes of the Grandmaster now. He only let me stay because my friend threatened to leave if I was not kept."

"Just let me go." Kuai Liang said softly. "We don't need to be enemies. We can be friends, close companions who can trust each other."

The weight on top of him suddenly disappeared. Immediately afterwards, he felt himself get tugged up by the collar of his shirt. He felt hot air blowing into his face as he cringed from the confusion.

"You are not my friend, Kuai Liang." Venom could only be found in the African boy's voice. "My only friend is Smoke. Even if I do not know his real name, I know I can trust him. We have had each other's backs since we first met. You have only pulled me back from my honor!"

Kuai Liang's eyebrows slanted down shamefully as he watched Cyrax walk away, back towards their sleeping quarters. He slowly pushed himself towards a wall, his back touching against the cold stone surface. He lowered his head into his knees as he covered his eyes with his hands.

He felt tears wanting to crawl out, but he didn't want to let them flow. For a large portion of his life, he had been taught to not show any emotions or express anything associated with them. He knew there was no shame in crying, but he just felt a hint of that horrid feeling in thinking about doing the action.

Once again, the sound of footsteps could be heard, but this time, they were louder and much less careful than Cyrax's. He didn't need to lift his head up to know that it was Bi-Han. He had quickly learned the way his footsteps sounded.

"Kuai Liang?" Bi-Han's voice sounded soft and concerned. "What happened? Why are you on the floor?"

Kuai lifted his head to face his brother.

"It is nothing, brother." He said. "I accidentally tripped. I simply sat down to let the pain settle down a bit."

Bi-Han opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut it. Perhaps he needed to keep his nose out of whatever was happening.

* * *

_His hands felt the surprising softness in his skin. He could feel his fiery passion and his honorable might emanating from his soul. _

_He held his embrace firmly, not wanting to part. He didn't want to let him go. He didn't want to lose him. _

_He felt a finger lift his chin up. Those chocolate-like eyes gazed at him softly. He could see the creases in his eye bags, making his eyes smile in delight. He did not want to break the invisible line between them. _

_He began to leave his embrace, leaving an empty spot in return. The fire, the warmth... it began to fade. It grew cold now. Colder and colder was all he began to feel as he saw him depart. He felt his hands chill with ice as he tried to reach for the dying light ahead. _

_But his Hanzo was too far gone already._

* * *

Kuai Liang shot up, tears running down his cheek as he gasped. He touched the streams of liquid gingerly, his breathing heavy. He felt the bite of ice on his fingers and arms, but he held no care for that. All he could think of was Him. All he could care about right now was Hanzo.

He collapsed onto his bed again, looking over at the others sleeping in their respective beds. He gave a sigh of distress before looking out his window with widened, watery eyes.

He just wanted Hanzo...

* * *

Kuai Liang awoke, his cheeks coated with dried up tears. Hastily, he brushed the mess away before Bi-Han could see.

Once he finished, he arose, finding his brother gone from his bed. He also found that Cyrax was missing. He didn't think much of it. Perhaps the two had gone to do something.

However, he thought Tomas was going to be with them too, so it came as a surprise when he saw the boy's bed shuffle a bit, before he, too, woke up from his slumber. The other boy lifted his head up, his eyes connecting with Kuai Liang's. In response, Kuai waved lightly at him.

"Good morning." Kuai's voice sounded small and mouse-like.

"Good morning." The other boy said with a nod and a small smile. He slowly propped himself up to properly be seen.

The two stayed silent for a bit, before the Cryomancer decided to speak.

"I... never got to introduce myself properly." Kuai said as he got up from his resting spot, striding towards Tomas. "My name is Kuai Liang."

He stuck his hand out for Tomas, who looked at it briefly, before grabbing his hand and shaking it.

"Smoke." He said. "That is the name the Grandmaster assigned to me."

Kuai only nodded in response. He knew that it was due to happen. Smoke was his code name, not his real name. It would be years until he'd learn his real name, but for now, all Kuai could do was prevent any complications and simply refer to his old friend by his pseudonym.

"And... what about your friend?" He asked Smoke. "What is his name?"

"The Grandmaster assigned him the name Cyrax. I do not know the reason or purpose behind the name, but I could not complain about it. After all, we were spared and given the chance to reside here."

The Cryomancer only nodded.

"I apologize for asking so many questions..." Kuai started. "But do you know why your friend, Cyrax, has negative feelings towards me?"

"He-" Smoke stopped his sentence, thinking to himself a bit, before he opened his mouth again. "He is jealous of you. He did not like that you won the match yesterday. He also despises the fact that you spared him afterwards."

"But I did not want to kill him." Kuai blurted out. "Fighting him was not my intention, and neither was killing him. I spared him because I felt that he had potential to be a prominent member of our clan."

"Well..." Smoke sighed out, his mouth straightening as his eyebrows furrowed a bit. "I believe what you did was right... In all honesty, I was ready to risk it all and stop you if you tried to kill him. I wanted a place to stay with him, but I would have risked being thrown back onto the streets had I needed to save Cyrax."

Kuai Liang smiled at the boy.

"I understand that. I know my brother would have done the same."

"I mean..." Smoke grinned at him. "He did fight back against the Grandmaster. I think that, alone, shows he would do the same. Not many would stand up to an elder, let alone the Grandmaster."

Kuai Liang chuckled to himself, as did Smoke. The two let a few laughs out, before they both sighed softly. Smoke sat quietly for a bit, as Kuai stood silently. The two boys just kept silence as they stared at the floor.

"I am scared, Kuai Liang..." Smoke mumbled, his voice breaking the thin silence. "I have no memory of who I was. I don't know my family. I don't know my birth region. I don't even know why I became this way - cursed with these powers!"

Kuai Liang frowned at the boy.

"That doesn't matter, Smoke." He murmured, putting his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Perhaps you'll get an answer in the future, but there is nothing wrong with focusing on the present. When we become of age, I promise you, Bi-Han, Cyrax, and I will try our best to help you discover yourself, even if Cyrax may still hate me."

Smoke smiled lightly when he heard those words. He quickly got to his feet and began to walk out. However, as he was about to leave, he looked back at Kuai.

"Aren't you coming?"

Kuai Liang gave a big smile as he began follow his new friend, the one that he had once known.


	5. 4: Amends

Smoke felt happy talking with Bi-Han and Kuai Liang. He had finally had the chance to meet the younger of the two brothers, and in that time they had met, he felt like the younger Cryomancer was a humble, caring person. It had caught him off guard just how nice the boy was, considering he was younger than him. If anything, he would have expected Bi-Han to act more mature.

But it didn't matter to him who acted more mature. He just felt happy knowing the brothers held care for both him and Cyrax, even if his friend held hate towards one of the two boys.

...

And that was where Smoke worried a bit. He did not want Cyrax to hold grudges, especially towards someone who showed care and mercy when he was on the verge of death. He still did not blame Kuai Liang for what happened, even after Cyrax had attempted to switch his view on the matter.

He just needed to speak with Cyrax again. Perhaps the boy would listen to him this time.

* * *

Smoke let a spoonful of rice into his mouth, his eyes watching Cyrax. The other boy ate in silence, his eyes once in a while glaring at Kuai Liang, who had been sitting alongside his brother next to them.

Smoke kept his attention on his friend, seeing his angered gaze. He could see his fist balled up around the spoon he held. His jaw would, at times, clench while he chewed his rice. He could even see his nostrils widen and close a bit as he let out angry sighs from his nose.

He had finally grown tired of it. He had grown annoyed seeing his friend so angered and peeved.

Smoke got up from his seat, walking around the table to get to Cyrax. He got close to his ear and spoke.

"Cyrax, I need to speak with you." Smoke whispered. "It's important."

The boy only nodded, leaving his almost-empty bowl of rice. Kuai Liang and Bi-Han, who had been eating and talking peacefully, stopped to watch the two boys leave. The older of the two shrugged it off, but Kuai couldn't help but look at the empty space in the seats.

* * *

"Cyrax, why are you doing this?" Smoke's voice sounded stern. "Why are you still angry with Kuai Liang?"

The boy looked at him with frustration.

"I already told you why!" Cyrax raised his voice at his friend. "He put my name and pride to shame! I feel furious knowing he is stronger than me."

Smoke shook his head, before kneeling to the floor and grabbing his friend's shoulders. He gave a sigh before opening his mouth to speak.

"Cyrax..." Began Smoke. "You do not need to be ashamed of losing. You do not need to be ashamed for trying. And you most certainly don't need to be ashamed of being spared."

"I spoke with Kuai Liang a little while back..." Said the white-haired boy. "He said he never wanted to fight you. He didn't want to kill you because he felt your potential for being a great Lin Kuei member. He knew you were worthy of being here."

Cyrax pouted, his eyebrows lowered in rage.

"I don't care, Smoke. He may want to try and be my friend, but I don't want to. I hate him, despise him with a passion!"

"Don't say that, Cyrax!" Smoke snarled at the boy. "He has respected you the entire time we have been here. He has tried to be nice and kind to you, but all you've been doing is resenting him for something he had no control over!"

Cyrax looked at Smoke, anger still in him, but tears beginning to spill out of his eyes. Quickly, Smoke had realized what he had done. He had snapped at his friend, something he had not done before. He had treated the boy kindly since they had met. He didn't mean to yell at him. That was not his intention.

The African boy began to walk away, rubbing his eyes as he went. Smoke quickly ran to him, grabbing his hand.

"Cyrax, wait!" Smoke looked at him in dismay. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you."

The boy tried to pull away, but he wasn't let go.

"Let me go! I don't want to talk to you!"

"Cyrax, please!"

"No!"

"Let me go!"

Out of desperation, Smoke tugged his friend towards him, before tangling him in an embrace. Cyrax tried hard to escape, but eventually succumbed to his friend's embrace, crying into his arms as the two sat on the floor. Smoke simply brushed the boy's hair softly, allowing him to cry into his embrace.

"I'm sorry!" Cyrax cried out as Smoke continued his action. "I know you don't like that I act this way, but I just can't help but feel uncontrollable rage every time I see him!"

He simply shook his head and gave a sigh.

"Cyrax..." Smoke began. "Please, try to hold hate towards Kuai Liang a little less. I know you are jealous, but don't be. You are just as good of a Lin Kuei member as him."

"Do you mean it?"

"Yes, Cyrax," Smoke mumbled reassuringly, patting the boy's back. "I mean it."

He wasn't just his friend anymore. Smoke felt like he was Cyrax's only family now. He had been abandoned so early in life that he couldn't fully fend for himself easily. He had took the position of being the boy's guardian. He, too, was young, but he had been forced to mature quickly. Life had not spared him any happiness, at least until now.

He had his two new companions, Kuai Liang and Bi-Han. He also had, what he considered, his family - Cyrax. He could care less for anything else but those two things. He held pride for the Lin Kuei, but he held care for those he felt he could trust.

Life had finally given him something to be alive for, and he'd protect them at all cost.

* * *

_Kuai Liang felt a soft touch between his fingers. He slowly moved his head up, his eyes connecting with those familiar brown eyes. He tightened his hold a bit more on Hanzo's hand, feeling the smoothness of his hand._

_He gave a sigh of happiness as he embraced Hanzo, his head nestling into his neck. His hand went to the man's tied hair, his fingers feeling his bun. The telltale blaze of Hanzo's soul warmed him to his coldest core, thawing away a bit of the chilling negativity he was imprisoned by. _

_He could feel Hanzo's hand caress his head, his fingers running through his hair gently. Kuai smiles softly, his heart receiving the intoxicating feeling it had been yearning for. _

_Kuai Liang could now hear the rustling of Fire Garden's Phoenix-like trees, feeling the gusts of a cool autumn wind touch his body. He breathed in through his nose, his nostrils capturing the smell of fresh tea and autumn trees. _

_He felt himself grow calm, going into a state of euphoria. His smile brightened when Hanzo brought his finger to his chin, making him retract his head to directly look at him again. _

_His wondrous smile, small and composed, yet beautiful all the same. His every wrinkle retrieved through the years only seemed to add to his elegance. His eyes twinkled and shined lustrously like a fire agate. Kuai could not separate his vision from the man he loved so much. He was frozen. _

_He saw Hanzo walk slowly into the Shirai Ryu temple, before suddenly coming back out with a tray that carried freshly made tea. The aroma of it filled his nose and brain, making him feel drunk from the bliss. The man snapped a table into existence, setting the tray onto its surface. _

_No words came out of Hanzo, yet Kuai Liang knew he had told him to have some tea. _

_He nodded, walking towards him. He sat cross-legged on the floor, watching Hanzo do the same. His lover poured him a cup of tea, handing him the cup gingerly. Kuai gave him a smile, before taking it from his hands. He slowly took a sip of the drink, his mouth bombarded by flavor. His eyes fluttered in satisfaction, remembering the taste that he hadn't tasted since... _

_Kuai Liang lowered his tea cup slowly, gazing at his own reflection in the tea. He could see himself - old, scarred, battle-hardened. He set the drink back down onto the table, looking at Hanzo again. He could see the man sip his own tea with a smile. _

_Kuai tried to speak, but no words came to his mouth. Hanzo looked at him softly, cocking his head a bit to his left, before standing up once more and seating himself next to Kuai. _

_He wanted to speak. He wanted to tell him what he had said once, before he had gone. His throat let out no sound as he tried, but when he saw Hanzo shake his head lightly, something in him told him to settle down. _

_Hanzo grabbed his hands, carefully cupping them into his own. He only let out a few words as the scenery around them began to fade. _

_"I love you, Kuai Liang..."_

* * *

His emotions had gone haywire. His dream had gotten the best of him and it showed, especially in his training. He couldn't focus. He couldn't stay alert. No matter how hard he tried, he kept seeing Hanzo. No matter how much he attempted to, he couldn't get those words out of his head, nor from his heart.

He felt cold. His dream had warmed him to his core, yet he was reminded that he had lost Hanzo, his fire. He could feel his powers, the ability to wield ice and snow, growing bitter and stronger. They were closer and closer to being set out of control. He had not ever had his emotions so wrecked and messy, at least not until Hanzo had passed.

Kuai Liang suddenly heard his name being called out and he jolted back into action. His eyes quickly focused back, seeing another member of the clan ready to strike at him with a sword. Without thinking, he rapidly formed a shield of ice, barely blocking the strike. The fighter was thrown back by the recoil, falling to the floor.

Kuai has breathed out in relief, but soon realized what he had done. He had shown a powerful move, a move he wasn't supposed to perform so early on in his life. He grew rattled, worrying that he was compromising his truth.

Instead, to his surprise, he heard sounds of approval, even from the Grandmaster, who had still held some frustration with him. His mouth formed into a smile, before he went back to the task at hand. He stuck his hand out for the trainer on the floor. Tugging him to his feet, he handed him the sword he had discarded by mistake. The two nodded to each other, before they began once again.

* * *

"Bi-Han, how is your brother so experienced?" Smoke asked the teen, who just shrugged.

"Honestly, I am just as confused as you are." Said Bi-Han. "Nobody has taught him anything like that. Either he got lucky and created that ice shield by mistake, or somebody besides me or the other trainers has been teaching him."

"But aren't you and your brother the last Cryomancers alive? How can someone else show him something like that if they don't have the experience as well?"

"I do not know. Perhaps I'll find out how he does these surprises, eventually. For now, though, all I can think is how proud I am of him."

"I agree. He's really shown himself to be a good warrior."

Smoke and Bi-Han continued to spectate the ongoing training. However, behind them, Cyrax pouted to himself, peeved by what the two older kids had said.

"He's not so special!" Cyrax thought. "Just because he can control ice doesn't mean he's the best. I bet he didn't even know how to do that shield."

He heard Smoke and Bi-Han compliment Kuai Liang again, and Cyrax, in a small voice, had spit out what he had on his mind.

"Why are they complimenting him so much?" His voice was small, though still rather audible. "He's not that great."

"Of course he is! Why do you think he bested you in that fight?"

Cyrax pauses in his place for a couple seconds, before he turned around. When he did, he found a boy his age sporting a red attire. His right eyebrow was raised as his mouth had formed into what seemed to be a frown.

"Why are you listening to what I'm saying?" Cyrax questioned angrily. "You shouldn't be sticking your nose in other people's business."

"You respect me! You do not get to be mean and stubborn with me!"

"You don't have the right to listen to what I say!" Cyrax's voice arose, catching the attention of some. "I respect the Grandmaster, but I will not respect you!"

The boy in red shoved him to the floor with a scowl.

"You respect me! I am Sektor, son of the Grandmaster, and you will do as I say!"

Cyrax bared his teeth angrily, before getting to his feet. However, he was, once again, shoved to the floor.

"You aren't worthy of being here!" Yelled Sektor. "You are not useful in our clan at all!"

"My friend said I was as good as Kuai Liang!" Cyrax said loudly. "I can prove I am as good as him!"

Sektor scoffed at the boy, before speaking again.

"Kuai Liang is far better than you'll ever be!" Sektor yelled into the boy's face. "He has powers of ice. You do not have anything!"

Cyrax finally had enough. He quickly jumped to his feet, concentrating his mind as he planted his feet to the floor. He felt his senses being overwhelmed as his surroundings had finally become clear. Opening his eyes, he looked to Sektor, before sending a leg high into the air, straight to the boy's face.

Sektor stepped back in pain, groaning agonizingly as he touched his already swelling cheek. Despite the pain he was in, he composed himself and began to fight back.

He sent a fist towards Cyrax's abdomen, but the boy quickly dodged it. Instead, Sektor felt himself get shoved to the floor by his opponent's foot.

Cyrax was about to deliver a stomp onto Sektor's chest, ready to incapacitate him, when he was tugged back suddenly. The African boy tried to escape from the arms tugging him away from Sektor, his eyes and anger still set on the Grandmaster's son who continued to lay on the floor.

"Cyrax, calm down!" The person holding him back said with worry in his voice.

"NO! I have to show him I am worthy!"

"Let him go, Kuai Liang!" Sektor shouted. "Let him lose in another fight!"

"I will not, Sektor!" Kuai growled, his eyes piercing him. "You have antagonized him enough already!"

"He has to prove himself! He cannot be in our clan if he can't even beat you or me in a battle!"

"Enough, Sektor!" Kuai yelled, grabbing Cyrax by the arm. "I will not stand for your pitiful attempts at trying to perform your father's duty. For shame, Sektor!"

"How can you side with him, Kuai Liang? He had done nothing but throw hateful comments at your skill and performance."

"I can keep myself composed and level-headed, Sektor." Kuai stated. "I know his words are simply formed from his jealousy, but that is why I want to try and change him. You are not of any help, Sektor!"

Kuai Liang began to walk away, a fuming Cyrax forcibly following along with Smoke and Bi-Han.

Sektor gazed angrily at the group, brushing himself off from the dirt he had in his uniform.

"You have forsaken me, Kuai Liang." Sektor mumbled. "I will show no forgiveness for what you've done."

* * *

Cyrax sat on his bed, still sulking in his solitude. Smoke watched from his own bed, waiting for a change to occur. He had hoped something inside the boy would change, especially due to the fact that Kuai Liang had helped the boy earlier from that other boy, Sektor.

Nothing. Nothing was happening.

He needed to do something about it again.

"Cyrax!" Smoke shouted to his friend. "I need to talk with you again."

"No..." His voice was low. "I don't want to."

"Cyrax, I'm not asking if you want to. Come here. We seriously need to talk."

The African boy groaned softly, before getting up from his bed and walking towards Smoke. He sat himself next Smoke's makeshift bed.

"What do you want?"

"Cyrax... You have to forgive Kuai Liang...!"

"I already said I wouldn't." His face scrunched angrily. "I don't want to."

Smoke gave a sigh, his fingers gently rubbing the bridge of his nose. He mumbled coherently, before speaking again.

"Cyrax, you've got to understand. HE. IS. NOT. YOUR. ENEMY. He spared you when he wasn't supposed to, and he even helped you earlier, despite you holding a grudge against him."

Cyrax kept quiet, fumbling with his fingers. Smoke sighed, hugging his close friend lightly.

"Cyrax... I'm not asking you to be his friend, but please try to build a connection with him. He needs to know that he can expect the same level of trust that he gives, from you. Trust is needed in this clan, Cyrax."

The boy sat silently for a few seconds, before nodding lightly. Smoke breathed out in relief. He got out of his bed, grabbing Cyrax by the hand.

"Smoke, where are we going?"

"We're going to find Bi-Han and Kuai Liang. I want you to properly tell him what we agreed to."

The younger boy nodded again, his head lowering a bit.

The two walked slowly through the hallway dimly light by the weak fire of the lanterns lining the walls. Cyrax held Smoke by the hand as they slowly began to arrive at the dinning area, where the two brothers were eating as a reward for their exceptional performance.

Bi-Han was the first to look up when they entered the room. The teen nudged his younger brother, who parted his eyes away from his rice bowl and up towards Smoke and Cyrax.

They finally reached the table the two had been sitting at. Smoke let go of his friend's hand, gesturing with his hand to go on. The African boy breathed in and out quickly, before he finally spoke.

"Kuai Liang..." Cyrax breathed out. "I-I want to apologize."

"I forgive you, Cyrax." Kuai said, smiling at the boy. Cyrax only nodded, beginning to walk away, but he stopped in his tracks.

"No... That is not all..." He told himself in his head. He shook his head roughly, before returning rapidly.

"Why did you forgive me so easily? I have berated you so much, yet you still accepted me! Why? Why can't you just hold the same grudges that I do?"

Kuai Liang only stood up, planting his hands on the boy's shoulders.

"You'll understand the reason why some day. For now, though, just know that I forgive you. I simply ask for trust, nothing else."

Cyrax nodded his head. He truly didn't understand why he had forgiven him. He wanted to know, but perhaps he didn't need to know.

He sat next to Kuai Liang's seat, his head lowered and eyes looking at the surface of the table.

He felt the Cryomancer's hand on his shoulder.

"Would you like some rice?"

Cyrax grinned lightly, nodding a bit.

"Yes, that sounds nice."

* * *

The sound of footsteps slapping against the wet pavement resonated through the empty alleyway. His breath was hitched as his face was whipped violently by the heavy rain of the dark midnight clouds. He tucked the bag deeper into his clothes, preventing it from getting wet.

He continued running, looking behind himself once in a while. His eyes shot around, looking for any signs of them. He needed to stay wary. He could not lose his life to a mere-

The sound of things crashing caught in his ears, forcing him to run even faster. He felt adrenaline pulsing through his veins, making his heart beat faster with every step he took.

He ran and ran, not stopping at all until he felt that he was in a safer environment. He breathed in and out heavily, watching the streets that were devoid of life. The silvery rain cascaded the road, painting his view a glimmering gray.

He leaned against the wall of the familiar building. He allowed himself to rest a bit, his body letting go of a bit of the adrenaline he had. He quickly checked the bag in his clothes, which was still relatively dry.

He gave a sigh of relief, before getting up and stretching a bit.

Hanzo checked the surrounding area one last time, before running further down the street, into the chilling deadness of the night.


	6. 5: The Ninja

**_1 year later..._**

Hanzo Hasashi resided in the back of the group of Shirai Ryu clansmen. He had not wanted to come along on the task assigned to them. He had been planning to do his daily task of delivering his earned goods to his mother. He knew she was waiting for him to stop by and stay for tea.

He had tried to stay behind, but once the Grandmaster had mentioned the chance to earn more goods, he could not resist. He was more than happy to get those items and leave them with his mother. The thought of her worrying about basic necessities and her son's safety just a little less for a good week or so convinced him to take the job. He did not want to keep sprouting anxiety in her heart.

And now, he was here, running on the surfaces of rooftops as his group tried to reach the destination point.

Hanzo, along with the other clan members, had been assigned the task of assassinating someone. An anonymous person had delivered a large document slip to their temple, leaving a thick stack of money and a note inside.

The note had asked for the assassination of a man who lived in a dinky apartment not too far from where Hanzo's mother lived. The man had been causing chaos in the area, including violence and tyrannical rule over the residents in the area.

Hanzo felt that something was off with this case. They had never been asked to perform an assassination for such a large sum of money. The price was odd to him, but he knew that this money would be the thing paying for his food, as well as the supplies he wanted for his mother. He could not complain much, despite the urge still in the back of his head.

The Grandmaster sent him and the few others that evening to the location. However, instead of taking a bus like usual, Hanzo and his group took a car instead, as the location from the temple to the city was still quite a bit far.

It had taken a few hours before they had finally arrived at the rather small city Hanzo was familiar with. It was a region where apartment complexes and 2-story business-run buildings thrived.

The group had decided on taking the rooftops as a way of traveling quickly, yet also as a way of being kept relatively out of plain sight.

Once in a while, Hanzo would turn his head around a bit, looking behind himself using his peripheral vision. He felt his gut tingle a bit, as if something wasn't right. The only explanation he had was that he was worried of being found by their rival clan, the Lin Kuei. The group had had members being sighted around Japan for some unknown reason.

Hanzo felt that he was not ready to be killed if it unfortunately came to that situation. He still had a reason to keep fighting. His mother still needed him.

He could not ponder on that terrible scenario at the moment anymore. His attention was brought back to the task at hand. The group still kept on going, though they seemed to have slowed down a bit. Not too long after, someone at the front shot his hand up, his hand opened. The group stopped abruptly, waiting for the group leader to give another command.

Again, his gut tingled with a bubbling anxiety. Something truly wasn't right.

"Go..." The member whispered to Hanzo, his hand waving in front of his face. He quickly recovered back to attention, following after his team.

He was ready to go inside the apartment room, but the sound of gravel crunching under small footsteps made him stop. Now, his stomach boiled with worry.

"There is nobody here!" He heard his partner shout out. Instantly, he began to make connections in his head. The footsteps and the missing target meant-

Hanzo heard a grunt from behind him as he instinctively ducked, barely missing a ball of ice shot in his direction. He slid his body around, coming face to face with a group of Lin Kuei clansmen. The one who had shot the ice ball was dressed in blue and black gear. The lower portion of his face was covered by a mask, but Hanzo could only focus on those eyes, their normality gone, instead replaced with a white glow.

He could hear his group members shout out in fear as they began to pile out of the apartment, running away from the rival clansmen. The other Lin Kuei members moved soon after, chasing after them.

Hanzo stood in place, frozen from the fear of being killed and leaving his mother behind. He tried to move, but his brain had just seemed to fail. He could see the blue member's arms glowing blue, ready to turn him into ice, when he was tugged back, pulled by the collar of his shirt by a member of his group.

He snapped to life and began to run now, dodging another ball of ice aimed at him. He heard his footsteps approaching fast. In a rapid instant, Hanzo unsheathed his tanto, turning himself towards his enemy and swiping forward with the blade.

He struck him in the chest, slicing his clothes open and creating a thin line on his skin. The Lin Kuei member groaned in pain, but did not slow down much. Quickly, Hanzo turned around and ran again.

Hanzo jumped down onto a lower rooftop, landing flawlessly with a roll. He repeated the same landing as he finally arrived on the streets. His legs felt like they were screaming in pain, as did his lungs. However, he heard the piercing sound of ice shattering next to him. He turned around, seeing daggers heading in his direction. His eyes widened as he rolled to his left, dodging most of the ice daggers.

However, he suddenly felt the right side of his abdomen grow hot, the area beginning to burn painfully. He gritted his teeth as he looked down, finding a sole dagger dug deep into his body, its blue hue quickly becoming a sickly crimson color.

He continued to run, despite the pain shooting throughout his body with every movement he made. He kept going, running and running, not stopping for even a moment. It was until he felt his gut sensation no longer bothering him that he finally stop his escape, collapsing in a darkened alleyway.

His lungs cried for air as he slowly collected his scrambled thoughts again. He cringed as the throbbing pain in his abdomen finally came full force. He knew that he was in peril, not only from the presence of powerful Lin Kuei members in the area, but also because of the dagger stuck in his body. He knew better than to take it out.

He could not risk going to a hospital. It was too far for him to go to. He could not attempt to find his fellow Shirai Ryu group mates. Only the Elder Gods could help them now.

And then it came to him. His mother! He was not far. He could rest in her home, at least until he felt that it was safe. He could only hope that those dishonorable disgraces that called themselves people had already gone.

* * *

"Where is your brother?" The boy in yellow uniform asked. "Why is he not with us?"

"He was assigned another job." The member in blue growled as he regrouped with his allies. "For now, we are the ones sent to stop this group of Shirai Ryu filth!"

"Tell the Grandmaster that Tundra will be needed next time." A white-haired member stated, appearing next to the blue-attired person. "Three of them escaped. Two were adults it seems. The other seemed to be near the ages of 12 through 15 - our ages. This claim could be false though."

"Where is Sektor? We need to return right away! Our portal back to the temple is not going to stay open for long!"

"I'm not sure. Perhaps he tried to catch one of the escapees."

The member in blue could only scrunch his eyes as he attempted to come up with another plan.

* * *

Hanzo knocked on the door hastily, yet lightly and quietly. It took a few seconds before the door in front of him opened, revealing his mother, thin and a bit pale. She was dressed in her night gown, her hair disheveled a bit. He knew that he had stopped by so late. His mother had already been asleep.

"Hanzo?" Her voice sounded light. "Hanzo, what are you doing here so late? Are you not going to get in trouble with the Grandmaster?"

He was about to answer to her, but the pain in his side suddenly erupted with more intensity. He groaned agonizingly, supporting himself on the door's frame. His fingers grew white as he gripped the wood.

His mother instantly grew concerned, wrapping her arm around his shoulder. With her help, he was sat at the dinner table, where he continued to feel the pangs of burning heat and agony.

His mother gazed at the dagger, which still kept its form perfectly, despite being made of ice. Her face kept itself composed as she simply nodded with a grunt. She headed out of the small dinning room, grabbing a box stashed away in a closet. She dusted the cover off, seeing its cross of red.

She headed back into the room, setting the box on the tabletop. Opening it, she set aside a small bottle of alcohol, as well as gauze and a sewing needle with thick string.

"Hanzo..." She mumbled, gripping her son's hand. "I am going to take out the dagger. I am going to pour some alcohol into it before stitching your wound closed, okay?"

He could only nod. She returned the gesture, before forcibly tugging the ice weapon out. To her surprise, little blood had spilled out. Then, it hit her - the weapon's ice properties caused that area to get too cold, forcing blood to circulate less in the area. She gave a sigh of relief, both due to the lack of blood and because of the fact that the dagger had seemingly only dug a bit into Hanzo's body. She felt just a bit of reassurance knowing that he was not in grave danger.

She got the bottle of alcohol, taking its cap off and swishing the bottle a little. Without hesitation, she poured some of the alcohol over the injury. Immediately after, Hanzo began to groan loudly, his teeth gritting tightly as the alcohol stung the open wound. She let the liquid do its job while she prepared the needle with her for stitching.

She quickly grabbed the needle and thread, entering the thread into the hole and securing it tightly. She let the needle pierce Hanzo's skin, looping it in and out of the wound, tugging the skin closer and closer with the help of the thread, till it finally shut relatively well. She sighed in relief, before grabbing the alcohol bottle and dabbing a bit of it onto the stitched wound. She then grabbed some gauze and medical tape, covering the wound with gauze first, before holding it in place with the tape that she wrapped around his abdomen.

She finally finished her task, clapping her hands together, before grabbing Hanzo's hand. She finally sat herself next to her son, her worry now beginning to set in.

"Hanzo, how did this happen to you?" His mother asked, her hand gently touching his face. His eyes lowered, closing briefly as he sighed, before he opened them again.

"The Lin Kuei..." He grumbled. "They tricked us. My group and I were assigned a job, so we went to do it. It was all a set up though. They ambushed us. I do not know what happened to my group mates, but I was attacked by a member."

"I'm sorry, Hanzo..." She whispered. "But... How did you get this dagger of ice?"

"A Cryomancer. The Lin Kuei are more powerful than ever now. They have the power of other realms with them."

His mother could only sigh.

"Hanzo, I am worried about you. It's becoming more and more dangerous being in that clan."

Hanzo let out a deep sigh.

"I am in there for you, Mother." He said softly. "I cannot just let you fend for yourself, especially after Father... left us..."

He frowned lightly, his brows lowering sadly. He felt his mother's hand on his shoulder, comforting him a bit.

"You know he helped us greatly. His time in the Shirai Ryu was long, but he could just not stand doing such horrible tasks. He wanted to be there for you and for me. The clan was important, but we were his top priority."

"Do you think he would be proud of me," Hanzo asked softly, his eyes gazing into his mother's own eyes. "Even if I joined the Shirai Ryu and went against his wishes?"

"Hanzo..." She held her son's hands tightly. "He always put his family first. You hold the same love for family that he held. I know he would be proud of what you've done for me since he passed."

He gave a tight smile, his eyes shining with the glow of the night's moon. He embraced his mother, his fiery soul once again fueled to life.

"I have to go, Mother." He said, still embracing her lovingly. "I need to get back to the temple as soon as possible. I promise, though, that I'll come back again soon. I'll even try to bring some fresh tea leaves so we can enjoy it boiling hot."

His mother nodded, before she broke their connection. She gave him a smile, before walking alongside him to the door. She gave Hanzo one last hug - quick and small. He smiled to her, before opening the front door and walking out, breaking into a run as soon as he was across the street.

She watched gave a small sigh, her smile turning to a frown. She could only hope that her son kept himself safe.

She walked to the table, packing up the medical supplies sprawled on the dinner table. As she finally closed the box, walking to the closet where it had been, she heard knocking on the front door.

She gave a small smile again as she set the box on the floor.

She took slow steps, her strides taking her to her door of finality.

* * *

He watched from a distance, waiting for him to come back out. It took a while, but he finally saw him coming out of the apartment again.

To his shock, he saw that the person he was chasing after was a boy, possibly around the age of 12. Despite that, he was ready to strike for the boy, before he caught sight of a woman looking from the window of the apartment that the boy had left.

His grudge for that horrid clan created an atrocious idea, one that he knew would kill that clan boy from the inside.

He waited till the boy finally ran off, before he climbed down from the roof of the apartment he was on. He walked to the apartment of the boy, knocking on its door.

Sektor could not wait to see how this bloody idea would affect that disgrace of a boy that was a part of the Shirai Ryu clan.


	7. 6: Deceptions and a Deadly Alliance

**_19 years later:_**

Time had come and gone so fast, yet so slow all the same. He had created memories, bended his own history and creating new moments that were joined with those old ones he still, at times, reminisced on. 19 years had passed by him and lended him a new slate to work with.

Kuai Liang felt happier now. He had his brother with him and had helped relieve him of any internal demons he had. He had befriended Cyrax soon after they had made amends and created a trustworthy bond with him. Smoke had stayed as his great friend too, just like he was during the old timeline.

And it had been 19 years. It had been a very long time since he began again. It had been that long since he had ever seen his old life. It had been that long since he had been with Hanzo. Even after all those years, he never let go of the man. He thought his love would falter, but not once did he seem to be so fond of anyone else.

But now, after 19 years, he began to have doubts in his chances. His love may have not faltered, but he had felt his hope waning a bit. He knew that resetting the timeline was a roll of the dice, a slim chance in which he could replicate the relationship he once had with his late lover.

All he could do was simply let his future unfold.

* * *

Kuai Liang and Bi-Han began to head to the temple's courtyards, readying themselves to pray for a short time. As they almost got there, Bi-Han was stopped by an elder. The man had whispered into his ear, and Bi-Han simply responded with a nod. He departed, leaving the two brothers alone once more.

"What's wrong?" Kuai Liang asked. His brother shook his head.

"It's nothing." He stated. "The Grandmaster wants to see me. He claimed that it was to discuss a job that someone needs done."

"Do you need to go now?" Kuai questioned. "Perhaps I can accompany you."

"He requested that I go now. Perhaps he will be okay with you joining me."

Kuai nodded, before following his brother to the Grandmaster's location.

* * *

Bi-Han and Kuai Liang entered the Grandmaster's room, lifting their arms to their chest, connecting their hands together, before bowing a bit. As they raised their bodies again, the Grandmaster spoke.

"Sub-Zero... Tundra..." His voice resonated with seriousness as he nodded his head to the two Cryomancers. "As you may have been told, there is business to be done. Yesterday, in the evening, I was consulted by a man. He asked me to hire one of our warriors to retrieve a map from a temple, a key that would lead to an amulet that he held at a high esteem."

"He offered to do anything we ask of him. I gave him a price, a very large price. I told him to wipe the Shirai Ryu from the face of Earthrealm, and any possibility of it arising from its own ashes. He is willing to oblige to our conditions."

Kuai felt himself cursing anxiously. He hadn't seemed to realize that it was already due to happen. His brother was due to retrieve the Map of Elements, which, in turn, would lead to the massacre of the Shirai Ryu and the death of Hanzo.

"I will take the task, Grandmaster." Bi-Han said, bowing again. "For the Lin Kuei..."

"Good." He simply mumbled. "Now go! Go retrieve the map. I am sure you will complete this task with relative ease."

Bi-Han nodded to the Grandmaster, before beginning to walk out of the room. However, Kuai Liang spoke, stopping his brother in his tracks and catching the attention of the Grandmaster.

"Wait!" Kuai blurted out, his heart beating a bit fast. "I want to assist my brother on his journey. I do not want to let him go alone."

"Tundra, your brother is the most skilled and cunning assassin we have in this clan." The Grandmaster explained. "He can most definitely hold his own at this Shaolin temple. He needs no aid."

"And what does it cost for me to go along?" Asked Kuai. "If anything, we are more likely to retrieve the map, as I can help him in fighting off any of the monks residing in the temple."

"No is no, Tundra!" The leader raised his voice. "Now stand down! Your brother needs to retrieve that map."

"Grandmaster." Kuai started, though he wasn't fully okay with saying what he was going to say. "I plead to you, let me go with him. If not for him, at least for our clan. For the victory of the Lin Kuei, Grandmaster..."

The leader sat in his seat, silently thinking to himself. All the young Cryomancer could do in that small moment of suspense was wait for approval.

"Tundra, you are not yet fit to be in your brother's position," He said. "But you still are a fantastic member of our clan... Yes, you are allowed to assist your brother. However, I expect that map to be brought back effortlessly, especially now that you are accompanying Sub-Zero."

Kuai simply nodded, bowing to the leader, before walking towards Bi-Han, who had stood waiting for his brother. The two walked away a bit, before Bi-Han lightly patted his brother's shoulder.

"I am glad you want to come along." Bi-Han conceded. "I had surely thought you wouldn't have wanted to help. After all, this is not an easy mission."

"Bi-Han, we are brothers." Kuai began. "I believe that family comes first, then comes our clan. The Lin Kuei may think otherwise, but I truly hold family and friends in my heart close, closer than I really should."

Bi-Han chuckled lightly, wrapping his arm around his brother.

"If ir were anybody else telling me this, I'd immediately tell them to not give away those kind of details," Said Bi-Han. "But since you're my brother, I can understand how you feel. And, yes, I do hold you close to my heart too, Kuai Liang. If, due to some unfortunate reason, I tell you something otherwise, just know I do not mean it. We are blood. We are brothers!"

The two brothers laughed lightly, with the elder only tightening his hold on his brother as they slowly departed to their destination.

* * *

"Is this the place?" Kuai asked, looking at his brother.

Bi-Han looked at the temple in front of them, gazing at its grandeur exterior. He could only mutter a few words as he kept his eyes glued to the location.

"Yes." He mumbled. "This is the place."

Kuai Liang simply nodded to his brother. The two began to walk again, heading towards the building.

As they inch nearer and nearer, they find the area fortified, kept safely behind large cobblestone walls and a monumental gate. Hastily, Bi-Han begins to track a way of entering. He watches with a careful eye, trying to find any spot that could potentially be used to their advantage. And soon enough, he finds a location. He sees an area in the mountainous range on which the temple rests, where the wall is able to be scaled using the other hills and towering rocks nearby.

Bi-Han wasted no time racing to the spot, while Kuai Liang trudged along worryingly.

* * *

He didn't want to be here anymore. He knew what this event would hold for them in the future. He wanted to prevent that. He wanted to prevent everything before it could unfold and fester.

They had finally snuck inside. It had taken no time at all, to Kuai Liang's dismay.

He wasn't sure what to do now. Since he had reset the timeline, training since then for the events he was ready to tackle. He thought he was ready now, but seeing the temple where Hanzo was meant to be killed...

The doubt... The guilt... It all slowly began to eat away at him from the inside. He didn't want to kill these monks, the monks that were simply protecting the map that helped keep Earthrealm under control. He didn't want to get to that room, the room where the map was. The room where Hanzo was supposed to die.

He felt himself being consumed by darkness, and he almost wanted to succumb to the feeling, but then he thought of Hanzo. The thought of seeing him again, alive and well, and the thought of potentially saving him revived a sliver of hope in him. Disregarding all those dark thoughts, Kuai began to follow Bi-Han, who had slowly creeped further towards the entrance into the temple's interior.

Hidden by the darkness of the night, the two brothers easily snuck inside, not capturing the attention of any monks still present outside. However, any relief they had was short-lived, as they could see a few monks up ahead.

Kuai Liang was the first to go ahead, surprising his brother. He easily fought back the monk, knocking him to the ground and freezing his arms and feet into place. He spared the man, leaving him there for others to save him later on.

His brother did not do the same, to his displeasure. He saw him strike the monks with such severity and atrocious behavior, that, for a moment, he looked like his old self. He looked like that man, that cold-blooded demon that seemed to only kill and spread its darkness. He looked like his Wraith counterpart. '

Kuai Liang cringed a bit, looking at the sight of the monk's bursted heads spread throughout the floor. Bits of brain matter and skull fragments lay like debris, the blood creating a grotesque puddle. He felt ashamed seeing such a sight.

Kuai ran to Bi-Han, who was walking slowly through the temple's corridors. More of the same gory scenery tampered with the building's clean and peaceful interior.

"Bi-Han, do you think it is worth going through all this trouble just for a map?" Kuai asked, stepping over more blood spills.

"It is our task, Kuai Liang." He simply stated. "It is one that we need to perform, not just for the Grandmaster and the one who is paying us. We need to avenge our clan by getting rid of our rivals, the enemies that have cost us countless members."

Kuai only lowered his head a bit, his mouth straightening as he attempted to come up with a second plan. Soon enough, he came up with the idea of going into the room first. Perhaps, if he was lucky, he could change the course of history and keep the ninja alive.

As he was about to warn his brother that he'd go ahead, the two heard a loud thump from the floor over them. The two looked at each other, confused, as the floor above was the room with the map inside.

They broke into a run, quickly climbing the stairs and reaching the last floor of the temple. Bi-Han arrived first, with Kuai going in last. And though he was expecting it, he still felt some sense of shock and astonishment in seeing him there. He was strangely fascinated seeing the man he loved, right there in front of him, scowling as he knocked out a monk on the floor. He wanted to reach out and hug the man, the ninja who looked much younger and less hardened than he had appeared when he died.

"Who are you?!" Bi-Han questioned, stepping forward with a threatening air to him. "Identify yourself!"

Hanzo Hasashi lifted his head up, his eyes piercing the elder brother. His eyebrows lowered angrily, as his scowl formed into a stern frown. He straightened himself as he began to speak.

"I have no need to identify myself, Lin Kuei scum!" Hissed the man, glaring stronger. "You will not succeed! I will gain the upper hand for the betterment of the Shirai Ryu!"

"Prepare to fall, Shirai Ryu waste!" Bi-Han growled, moving forward and coming to a fighting position. Hanzo did the same, his face angry and his eyes burning with hatred.

Kuai wanted to intercept, but before he could, the two began to fight.

Hanzo was the first to strike, crouching and sending a straightened leg towards Bi-Han's feet. The Cryomancer jumped quickly, dodging the move, before rapidly creating an Ice Ball in mid-air and sending it spiraling towards the ninja. The Shirai Ryu clansman raised his arms, blocking the move and being pushed back a bit by the force.

He quickly brushed off the ice shards stuck to his arms, before running towards Bi-Han and coiling his arm back. Bi-Han got caught off guard and was punched in the face, once, twice, and then a third time, before he was shoved to the floor with a forward kick.

Spitting out the blood in his mouth, Bi-Han got back to his feet and move forward to Hanzo, tricking him with a low kick and instead sending an uppercut to the man. He could feel his knuckles connect with the man's lower jaw with the satisfying sound of bone on bone.

Hanzo stumbled a bit, collecting his suddenly scrambled thoughts, before rapidly grabbing the Cryomancer. He sent his right knee flying into the man's gut, repeatedly doing the move, before unsheating his trusty tanto and swiping at Bi-Han, who had narrowly escaped Hanzo's clutches. Bi-Han felt the sting of a cut on his stomach area, a pain he had felt once a very long time ago.

Looking back up at Hanzo, who held his bloody tanto in his hand, he was brought back to 19 years back.

He could remember that night, when he and a few others had tricked some Shirai Ryu members and killed most of them. They had killed almost all, even two that had escaped at first, yet they had missed one. He finally realized who this man in front of him was now. It was the same scum that had given him the scar on his body that night.

"I remember you, now." Bi-Han said, his voice low. "I should have killed you when you were still weak and feeble!"

Hanzo simply scrunched his eyes a bit, not speaking a word. Bi-Han began to yell as he ran to the man, his hands forming fists coated in a thick layer of ice. He sent his right fist towards his body, ready to finish him off, but Hanzo moved to the man's left, quickly and effortlessly.

However, as Hanzo moved to the side, Bi-Han's left fist moved with him. In a matter of seconds, the icy fist struck Hanzo, who cried out in pain as he was flung to the floor, crippled by the agony in his body.

Hanzo laid on the floor, breathing heavily as he watched Bi-Han step towards him. The Cryomancer swiftly grabbed the ninja by the collar of his shirt, before he began to form a spear of ice. Bi-Han retracted the weapon, ready to strike with it.

"Spare me..." His voice groaned as he gazed at the man with a desperate gaze. "Please..."

"No..." Bi-Han's cold voice mumbled as he lifted his spear. As he began to bring it down, he felt the weapon stop abruptly. Confused, he looked to spear, seeing Kuai Liang grab the end of it with both hands. Angrily, he spoke.

"Kuai Liang!" Barked Bi-Han. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"I am completing his wish, brother!" Kuai answered sternly. "He pleaded for mercy! If you shall not give it to him, then I will!"

"Do not present forgiveness to this Shirai Ryu trash! His clan is dishonorable! They have desecrated our clan and our legacy for far too long now! This is the first step to our long due vengeance!"

"I do not believe in vengeance anymore, Bi-Han." He responded, breaking the spear's sharp end and discarding it to the side. "I believe in forgiveness. I believe in understanding and peace. Our clan has been without honor for far too long, not because of our rivals, but because of our own actions. In the eyes of Earthrealm's inhabitants, we are nothing more than just more criminals, more bad influences who poison the realm and society."

"I am not asking you to let him join his clan once more, Bi-Han." Explained Kuai. "But I simply advise that you start to see our position in this world. I want you to see that there is more to life than just being a killer and a ruffian."

Bi-Han gazed at his brother angrily, his chest inflating and deflating rapidly, before he sighed deeply and let go of his grip on Hanzo. He dropped the broken spear to the floor, groaning and mumbling under his breath.

"You are lucky, you piece of filth!" Bi-Han's venomous voice said.

"And Kuai Liang..." Bi-Han started. "Although I will spare him, I will not let him go. We are taking him back to the temple and we present him to the Grandmaster. We'll see what he wants to do with him."

Kuai Liang cursed to himself, but simply nodded to his brother.

"Wait...!" The voice of the ninja called out. "Please! I ask for nothing else but to see my family one last time! Please, I just want to let my wife know I love her."

"You have asked for enough by pleading mercy, ninja!" Bi-Han exclaimed. "You have no right to ask for anything more."

"Please! You can kill me, torture me, anything...! Just let me see my wife and son before you take me away!"

Bi-Han was about to rant on more, but he was quickly shut down by his brother.

"I will take you." Kuai said. "If this is about family, then I will help you, no questions asked."

"Kuai Liang! Stop helping him! He is our enemy!"

"He is a husband and father, Bi-Han!" Kuai snapped at his older brother. "I won't let a man like him leave his family wondering what happened to him. I want him to at least end off on a good note!"

"Being a family man changes nothing!"

"To me, it does! He seems to be a much better father than ours had ever been!"

"Do not speak negatively of our father! He was a prominent member of our clan!"

"He took us away from our mother! He forced us into this clan and forced us to hold these atrocious morals! At least this man sees more to his family than just a woman and a potential clans-member!"

Bi-Han gritted his teeth as he fumed his anger out. He grumbled to himself as Kuai began to speak to Hanzo.

"I apologize." He mumbled. "My brother is a lot more... hot-headed than He'd like to admit."

"I do not care about your brother and his morals." Hanzo stated. "I only care about my family. And although you are related to that Cryomancer and the Lin Kuei, I respect you for obliging to my wish."

Kuai Liang nodded slightly, smiling to him with his eyes closed.

"I am escorting the ninja to his original location." Kuai began, his back turned to his brother. "You can join me, Bi-Han, or stay behind here while I complete this man's wish."

Bi-Han scowled to himself, growling angrily, before grabbing the Map of Elements from its spot and quickly running to his brother's side.

* * *

The three men stepped out of the portal that Hanzo had taken to arrive at the Shaolin temple. The moon, despite still covered by the clouds over the Japanese skies, glowed down over them. The light casted just enough brightness for Kuai Liang to see the beautiful sight of the Shirai Ryu's Fire Gardens. He could see a temple to the side, but his eyes could only focus on the trees, which held their fiery colors passionately.

His attention was brought back to himself when he heard shouts and saw some of the clan's members running to the three men. Bi-Han got into a fighting position, though Kuai kept his straightened and calm posture.

"It's the Lin Kuei!" A member shouted out. "Kill them! Help Scorpion escape!"

Bi-Han began to form an Ice Ball, while Kuai stood ready to create a shield of ice. However, as the two were ready for the first strikes, Hanzo shouted out.

"Stop!" The ninja yelled out. "Do not attack them! They are willing to spare our clan if I leave with them. I have simply come back to see my family one last time."

"Please, just bring Harumi and Satoshi. I only want to say goodbye to them."

The men lowered their weapons and simply nodded, backing away from the two brothers and their captured prisoner.

It did not take long for Harumi to come, with her son, Satoshi, cradled in her arms. She gazed at her husband, her eyes wide in worry and pain. With a free hand, she hugged her husband, wrapping her arm around his back, their child lightly pressed between the two.

Their heads touched as Hanzo could only frown depressingly. His wife let a tear out of her left eye as she let her lips connect with Hanzo's. Their connection lasted a few seconds, seconds in which Kuai Liang couldn't help but feel just a bit of happiness in seeing the scene.

He had said that he'd always love Hanzo, but if he had to sacrifice his own love for his lover to be at peace, then he would accept it. And seeing the sight in front of him, he felt he had completed Hanzo's old wish of seeing his family again.

Kuai Liang felt that he had actually had a chance. He possibly had a chance of saving the man, his clan, and his family. If that happened, then he would live in his solitude, for the ninja and his family.

The couple finally let go of each other, before Hanzo kneeled a bit to see his son. With a cheerful coo, Satoshi smiled at the sight of his father, his hands pawing towards the man. Tears pinpricked Hanzo's eyes as he simply kissed his son's forehead. He let his hand caress his son's cheek one last time, before he focused back in Harumi.

"I am sorry I have to leave you and Satoshi, Kana." Hanzo began. "This was not my intention. I did not want to bring this sort of pain and burden upon you, but I can only blame myself for all of this."

"I understand, Hanzo..." Harumi softly mumbled, her hand softly touching her husband's rough cheek. "You do not have to apologize. I will always love you, no matter what happens. So will Satoshi."

Hanzo smiled painfully as he lowered himself to his wife's height, giving her one final kiss. He bid her a final farewell as he was tugged back through the portal, his heart still yearning to stay behind with his family.

* * *

Kuai Liang felt guilty.

His gut churned violently every time he closed his eyes, the image of Hanzo behind ice-coated steel bars coming back continuously. He tried to push the memories away, but they could not seem to fade. He could only see Him, still teary-eyed as Bi-Han shoved the ninja into an empty chamber, before freezing the bars of the chamber over with a layer of bitter ice.

When they had left the area, he felt that spark of hope still in him. He felt he still had the chance to at least save the clan. He just needed to save them at least.

He had asked his brother to not give the map just yet. He had lied to him, telling him that his gut was advising him not to give the item away. Despite the lie that was rather lackluster, Bi-Han took it. He had protested a bit, but it worked.

Kuai Liang could not handle it anymore. He could not handle staying in this god forsaken clan, killing and ruining others for payment. He had finally come to the rash decision of fleeing, but not by himself. He would set Hanzo free later that night, running away with him.

He would take the map with him so that he may return it to its original location. He was at risk of being captured and killed, but if it meant the prevention of Shinnok's return, the arrival of Armageddon, or even just the survival of Hanzo and his family, then he'd accept his fate.

All he could do was sit at a dinning table, thinking hard about a plan of escape as he ate some more of his rice.

* * *

He could not do this. Despite the warning He gave him, his care for the clan got the best of him.

Bi-Han watched as the Grandmaster took the Map of Elements from his hands with a satisfied gaze. Not much was said between the two, but the Cryomancer soon heard footsteps approaching. He looked to his right, seeing a man with white skin and red patterns on his arms and head. He quickly backed away warily, his gaze turning mean.

"Greetings." The White-skinned man said. "I see the ninja have been successful in retrieving the map... As I have foreseen."

"Do not tamper my title by calling me a ninja." Bi-Han stated. "I am a Lin Kuei clansman. We do not associate with those dishonorable people that call themselves 'ninjas'."

"Like your Japanese counterpart, Scorpion?" The man questioned. "It must have been rather unfortunate to have to combat someone like that warrior."

"That man was tipped off about our deal! Somebody tried to sabotage the plan! But, I bested him in kombat and took him as our prisoner!"

"Oh, so he lives?" The man asked.

"He should have been dead!" Bi-Han exclaimed to the Grandmaster. "If he wasn't there in the first place, my brother and I would have had no trouble in retrieving that map!"

Bi-Han directed his attention to the white-skinned man now.

"You are responsible for what happened there!"

The man only chuckled at Bi-Han's words.

"I did not only hire you, Sub-Zero. I hired Scorpion as well, in case you had failed your mission of retrieving the map."

"Your poor decision almost cost me the mission!"

"Sub-Zero!" The Grandmaster interrupted. "Enough!"

"Quan Chi, what about our deal?"

"Yes, I had almost forgotten about it." Quan Chi Said. "I am able to fulfill your wish now, if you please."

"With haste, Quan Chi." The Grandmaster said.

Bi-Han watched the sorcerer leave the room, and deep inside his brain, he couldn't help but think that Kuai Liang was right in his skepticism.

* * *

Her ears were bombarded by the sound of screams. The screams, by the Elder Gods, were that of absolute hell. She tried to cover her ears, but no matter how hard she tried, she could not drown out the sound of complete agony and terror occurring in the area.

Harumi peeked out from her home, watching many of the Shirai Ryu's clansmen combatting a force with such intense power. She could see family friends and acquaintances being flung around like rag dolls. She could see homes, once standing tall and proud, now simply being reduced to charred wood and hot ash. The blazing fires in the village contrasted disgustingly against the night sky.

She held Satoshi close to her, praying feverishly to the Elder Gods. She wanted nothing more than mercy. She did not care if it could not be given to her, but just at least her young son.

She could hear rumbling outside her home, and she closed her eyes and screamed. She tightened her hold on Satoshi as the panic in her head only intensified. She felt tears escape her eyes as she stopped her screaming, instead beginning to console her child.

The sound of the entrance sliding open caught her attention, and she looked towards it. Her eyes caught sight of a man of white, patterns with the color of blood covering parts of his body.

She felt her body wanting to scream, but her heart simply assured her to relax. She held her son to her chest, lowering her head to kiss the top of his head one final time, before the man unleashed his final attack on the innocent family.

* * *

Kuai fumbled with his fingers as he laid on his bed. He felt a certain shiver crawl up his spine and he instantly knew something was wrong.

Suddenly, Bi-Han entered their dormitory, and he felt the shiver intensify.

"Brother, where have you been?" Kuai Liang asked. "You've been absent for a while."

"Now, Kuai Liang... I know you advised me not to, but..." Bi-Han bit his lip, before continuing. "I gave the Grandmaster the map. A sorcerer was the one who asked for it. He completed our part of the deal though."

Kuai Liang froze. He felt his blood run absolutely cold as he realized what this had meant.

His chance. His opportunity. The possibility of saving the Shirai Ryu were 0. He thought he had a chance to save them, to save Harumi and Satoshi. He thought that his theory about every timeline having their deaths occur was wrong. He didn't want to accept it.

But he had failed to realize that this was an event he could not change. This time, though, it was due to his own forgetfulness. He had failed to realize that his brother, despite being better than his old timeline self, still held recklessness and lacked reasonability. He had broken his unofficial promise.

Kuai Liang immediately ran out of the room, awaking Smoke and Cyrax with his footsteps.

He ran to the chambers, his breathing quickly picking up pace due to the panic. He skipped steps on the stairs as he took the flight down, nearly tripping over his own foot.

He waded through some of the corridors, before coming to Hanzo's chamber.

Kuai Liang looked at the man, who flared back at him.

He did not know what to say, nor did he know how to say it.

"Scorpion." Kuai began, sweat beginning to form on his forehead. "I do not know how to say this easily, but your clan-"

He breathed in and out quickly, before continuing.

"Your clan and family are dead...!"

Hanzo stood up from his poorly made bed, piercing the Cryomancer with his fiery glare.

"Do not make false claims!" He exclaimed.

"I tell you the truth, Scorpion." Kuai frowned at the man. "I am deeply sorry."

Hanzo could see the sincerity in his eyes, in his expression. His angered face softened, transforming into a face of shock and disbelief. He stepped back, sitting on his bed in confusion.

"No..." Hanzo whispered. "No. No! NO!"

He suddenly shot up and slammed himself against the bars, his arms hastily trying to grab Kuai Liang.

"You told me they would be spared!" Hanzo shouted at the top of his lungs. "You promised me their safety if I came here. I assured my clan and my family that they'd be safe!"

"You betrayed my pleads!" Hanzo cried out, collapsing to his knees as he sobbed. "I trusted you Lin Kuei bastards! You all are nothing but disgraces of this realm!"

Kuai Liang could only watch painfully as the ninja cried softly, his body jolting with every hiccup.

He watched as Bi-Han entered now, but this time, a hint of guilt seemed to cloak his face.

Seeing Hanzo in pain... Seeing his brother, the forsaker, show guilt... His decision was final.

He hastily departed the area, quickly heading back to the dormitory.

He was ready to flee now. He wasn't accepting this anymore.

When he arrived at the dormitory, he found Smoke and Cyrax awake, their faces visibly confused.

"Kuai Liang, what's wrong?" Smoke asked, his eyebrow cocking a bit.

"Smoke," Kuai began, heading to his friend and gripping his shoulders tightly. "I'm sorry, my friend, but I'm leaving."

"Leaving? Why? Where to? Did the Grandmaster force you to?"

"I can't stand this clan anymore. I am fleeing from their clutches. I don't know where I can go yet, but I'll survive."

"Kuai, don't do this." Smoke said. "They'll hunt you down and kill you! Please, don't leave. I don't want to see you hurt."

Kuai left Smoke's space, heading to his own area and packing his weapons. He dressed himself in a navy blue outfit, before putting on a mask and covering the lower portion of his face.

"I am leaving, Smoke." Kuai mumbled. "Nothing and nobody will convince me to stay any longer. I just wish you and Cyrax could come with me. I do not want you two to be poisoned any further by their influence."

Smoke and Cyrax kept their worried gaze on the Cryomancer. He waited a bit, hoping they would want to leave as well, but he got no response. Sighing, he began to walk to the door, exiting the room, when he heard Smoke's voice call out to him.

"Kuai Liang!" The man exclaimed. "Wait! We are coming with you."

"You did not seem to want to come along at first..." Kuai said. "Why did you change your mind?"

"Fear, Kuai Liang. We are afraid of being killed. However, you bring us hope. You bring us strength. For that, we will join you in freedom."

Kuai Liang smiled, nodding to him as he gave him a quick hug.

"You truly are a great friend."

"Okay." Cyrax interrupted. "Enough sappy stuff. We've got some freedom to earn!"

* * *

Kuai Liang sneaked down the corridors again, alone in the dimly lit halls. Cyrax and Smoke had stayed upstairs, where they had been kept on watch.

Even from a distance away, Kuai could hear the hiccups Hanzo made. He could hear heaves and gasps as the ninja continued to sob.

It didn't take long for Kuai to arrive at the cell again. He tapped on the bars of the cell, capturing Hanzo's attention.

"What do you want now?!" He yelled. "Leave me be! I do not even want to see any of you disgusting excuses for humans!"

Kuai cringed at the words, but he knew they shouldn't be directed at him. Instead, he spoke to the man.

"Scorpion, quiet!" He demanded. "I'm here to let you go. I'm helping you escape this hellhole."

Hanzo cocked his eyebrow in utter confusion.

"Why?" He asked. "You have already done enough damage. I do not want to be cursed by your influence any longer."

"Scorpion, I want to take you back to your home." Kuai explained. "I didn't do this atrocious deed against your clan, but the guilt is there nonetheless. I want to help you return, so that you may see your home one last time, at least."

"There is nothing left for me. Everyone is dead, and now, so am I."

"Please, just come." Kuai blurted out. "If not for me or for your clan, then for your family. You can bury them and put them to rest correctly and peacefully."

Hanzo looked at the Cryomancer for a few seconds, trying to look for any signs of deception. When he detected none, he broke his focus, stepping back from the bars.

"I will join you, Lin Kuei clansman." Hanzo began. "But do not think we are friends, or that we have a trusted bond now! I am doing this only for my family."

"Understood." Kuai said.

The two bowed to each other, signifying their temporary joining of forces.

It was time for them to escape now.

* * *

Kuai Liang led the group of four through the shadows of the early morning's darkness. They crept slowly towards the temple's outside courtyard, where they could have a chance at fleeing.

Their footsteps were mouselike, their breaths held in and almost inaudible. Their eyes shot in different directions, looking for anything or anyone that could reveal them.

They edged closer and closer to the courtyard's entrance, and their hopes seemed to grow high.

"Tundra!" A voice yelled loudly, causing the group to stop dead in their tracks. "What are you doing?!"

Kuai Liang turned around, finding the Grandmaster there, Sektor by his side.

"What treachery is this?!"

"It is not a treachery!" Kuai exclaimed. "It is a decision for the greater good!"

"You are committing a treason!" Sektor yelled loudly. "I overheard your conversation with Smoke and Cyrax. You plan on fleeing, leaving our clan and hoping to find a better way of life."

"I do not want any part in your cruel and wicked ways of life anymore!"

"You've left me no choice, Kuai Liang." The Grandmaster murmured. "KILL THEM!"

Kuai Liang stood at full height, as did the three others. They got into fighting position as many Lin Kuei clansmen began to rush towards the group. He awaited the first strike, closing his eyes and accepting his fate of possibly dying, when he heard screams and the sound of a strong breeze.

His eyes opened to find the first few members, frozen in place. Bi-Han stood in front of them, breathing quickly from his nose. His head was lowered as he continued to shoot immense amounts of cold air and ice into the crowd.

When he finally lifted his head, he growled angrily.

"Nobody will interfere with my family!" Bi-Han sneered.

"Kuai! Go! Leave, NOW!"

"No! You need to come with us!"

"I will stay here and take care of them. Now listen to your older brother and LEAVE!"

Kuai reached his hand out to grab Bi-Han's arm, when he was suddenly teleported to the courtyard, emerging from a funnel of smoke. He felt sadness creep in, but he could not focus much on it. He was called to attention by his group.

"We need to go!" Smoke yelled. "Run! Just run!"

The group began to sprint, leaving behind the Lin Kuei Temple and the elder Cryomancer, Bi-Han.

* * *

Bi-Han scowled at the Grandmaster, who simply stared at him calmly.

"It is sad that you have to follow your younger brother's example, Sub-Zero." The Grandmaster stated. "I truly believed that you were capable of being our most exceptional member. But, it seems I was wrong. Your brother has contaminated your head and soul far too long. The only thing to do now is relieve you of your duties."

"What?! Are you going to fight me? Then, come here! I will not stop until my brother has finally succeeded!"

"Oh, well..." The Grandmaster mocked him with a coo. "Too bad we have to end this abruptly."

"We?" Bi-Han asked in confusion, unaware that this would be his last word. Caught off guard, Sektor snuck up to him while the Grandmaster distracted him.

The result ended with Bi-Han collapsing to the floor, his head twisted, his neck contorted horribly as his breathing stopped immediately. Sektor laughed in pleasure as he saw the body of Sub-Zero crumbled on the floor.

"A job well done, Sektor." The Grandmaster said. "I knew I could trust my own son for the task."

"I obey every command, Father. For the Lin Kuei!"

The Grandmaster chuckled, glimpsing towards Bi-Han's dead body. He then looked back at his son.

"Sektor, I have another task for you." He began. "You are the only worthy member left for this. How would you like to be the first subject for a new technological enhancement program?"

Sektor grinned devilishly as he simply nodded to his father.

He was ready to submit to Cyberization.

* * *

Kuai Liang stumbled slowly at the back of the group, the cold air of dawn blowing through his hair. He looked at the ground, pained greatly by the fact that he had left his brother behind. He could have helped him. He could have fought off the clansmen.

He could have risked it all and used Kronika's power. He could have.

But he didn't. And now, he could not stop thinking about his brother. His brain tormented him heavily by creating different situations and scenarios, different ways in which he thought his brother would die. Each vision of this horror made him cringe.

The group walked slowly, not sure where to go. The other three stopped suddenly, making Kuai Liang halt too.

"Kuai, where do we go?" Smoke asked his friend. "We have nowhere to stay anymore. We need to find a sanctuary fast!"

"I-" Kuai paused, cursing internally as he realized the flaw in his plan. He had stated that he would find a place to stay, yet here he was now, stranded and unsure of where to go.

"The Shaolin temple." Hanzo's voice caught the attention of the three ex-Lin Kuei members. "The one that both you and I raided earlier. That temple is home to the White Lotus Society, a group made to defend Earthrealm from opposing forces."

"My father told me accounts from his few times being there. He has told me of a Demigod residing there that goes by the name of Raiden. If we ask him for help, he may be willing to give it to us."

Smoke looked to Cyrax, who looked to Kuai Liang. The three nodded to each other briefly, before nodding to Hanzo.

"Okay, then, Scorpion." Kuai said. "We'll take your word."

The group of four began to walk again. Kuai Liang couldn't help but look back one last time at the Lin Kuei Temple, praying deeply for his brother's well-being.

* * *

He stepped closer to Bi-Han's dead body, analyzing him carefully. He touched his hands, their surface cold to the touch. He gazed at the body a little longer, growing satisfied with the corpse.

Lifting him from the ground, Quan Chi carried Bi-Han's body towards the portal formed near the entrance to the courtyard. He simply smiled as he walked into the portal, stepping into the Netherrealm with the vessel for his future grunt.


	8. 7: Ghosts of a Future Past

"It has been roughly 2 days since we left!" Cyrax yelled. "Where exactly is this Shaolin temple again?"

"We are not too far now. Just give it a bit more time." Hanzo mumbled, the soft dirt under his feet crunching lightly. "And do not complain anymore! We were lucky enough to come here by car! Had we taken a full walk here, we'd arrive in a month!"

Cyrax grumbled to himself, Smoke patting his back and chuckling at him. The two chatted to each other as Hanzo shut his mouth, gazing quietly at the towering mountains decorating the evening's darkened horizon. Dark and light cumulonimbus clouds blanketed the skies, covering the tips of the mountains in the background.

A cold breeze whispered in Kuai Liang's ear as breathed out lightly, his eyes still gazing at the ninja. He couldn't focus on anything else but the man. Non of the beautiful scenery around him seemed to capture his eye more than Hanzo. His beauty just seemed to outshine everything else, at least in his perspective.

Kuai Liang felt the need to speak with Hanzo, at least just to try and ask if he had felt a bit better. Something in his head told him not to, but his heart felt otherwise. He debated silently for a few minutes, before sighing in defeat and walking a bit faster towards the ninja.

"Hanzo-" Kuai Liang mentally smacked himself as he realized what he had said. "Excuse me. I mean, Scorpion."

"How do you know my name?" The man asked darkly.

"I heard it when I took you back to your clan." Kuai said, trying his best not to break his weakened composure. "You're wife briefly mumbled it before your departure."

Hanzo gave him a look of anger, his eyes almost shutting as a result.

"Do not ever refer to me by my real name again, Lin Kuei clansman."

"My name is Kuai Liang, Scorp-"

"I do not care." He mumbled. "I have no need to learn it. I'm merely taking us to this temple so that Raiden may help us. After that, I hope to never associate myself with your disgraceful clan ever again."

Kuai Liang frowned lightly as he turned his head away from the man.

"What was it you wanted to speak with me about?" Hanzo asked sternly. "You seemed to be interested in conversation. Speak now, for this is possibly one of the only chances you'll be earning."

"I just wanted to..." Kuai mumbled lowly. "Ask if you are doing okay. Whether you feel any need to speak about... what happened. Or if you just need to get some weight off of your shoulders."

"I am fine." Hanzo said lightly. "I am desperate to get to my home as soon as possible. I just want to see it all before I go."

"Where will you be going?"

"I do not know..." Hanzo muttered. "I simply plan on escaping for a short time. I want to be alone with my thoughts. Once I feel that I am able to, I'll return to society and rebuild my clan from the ground up."

Kuai nodded with a tiny smile, before speaking.

"I know it may sound absurd hearing this from someone like me," He said. "But I wish the best of luck for you and your future clan. I know we are rivals, but I want to disassociate myself from that aspect of my life. I'd rather focus on a life of peace and protection for Earthrealm."

Hanzo looked at him, before snickering lightly.

"You sound like an absolute fool!" Hanzo scoffed. "But I respect your morals and philosophies. You are much more different than the Lin Kuei."

"My morals and values are the reason I wanted to leave." The Cryomancer stated. "What they did to your clan - That was inexcusable! I know I aided my brother in retrieving the map, but I warned him of the sorcerer that hired us. He did not listen."

"I do not blame you." Hanzo said. "What did you say your name was? Kai Lang?"

"Kuai Liang." The Cryomancer replied with a chuckle. "Or Tundra. I am referred to by both titles."

"Yes." The ninja said. "Tundra, I do not fully blame you for what happened. However, I still feel just a bit of anger towards you and your friends. I cannot bring myself to connect with members of a clan that did that atrocious act."

"I understand that." Kuai said. "I am not asking for anything but peace between you and I, as well as with my friends."

Hanzo kept his gaze forward, away from Kuai's sight. The man breathed in and out slowly, keeping himself shut for a minute.

"I will keep your wish, Tundra." Hanzo mumbled, keeping his face from Kuai's line of sight.

"Thank you, Scorpion." Kuai said politely, his gaze finally breaking away from Hanzo. For once, during their trip up the dangerous mountain trails, Kuai Liang watched the thick and fluffy clouds towering over them, hugging the tips of the mountains in the horizon.

He just wished he could have done much more for Hanzo.

* * *

"Are you sure they'll welcome us?" Cyrax asked the ninja, who kept his gaze on the large doors in front of them. "You don't think they'll just drive us away for being outsiders?"

"They are Earthrealm's protectors." Hanzo mumbled. "They fight against outsiders, but they are not so strict and immoral as to drive away people in need."

"We can't waste anymore time." Kuai Liang blurted out as he grabbed the door's large knocker. "It is of the essence!"

Three loud knocks pierced the groups ears as Kuai Liang let go of the door knocker, stepping back a bit. They stood silently as one of the doors opened, revealing a monk who scrunched his eyes at them. The monk's eyes suddenly widened and he shut the door, making Kuai tighten his lips together impatiently.

They stood silently for a short while before the doors opened again, revealing a tall man, adorned in white and blue clothing, sporting a Chinese coolie hat. Alongside him were two Asian men, one who had a headband covered by his long hair, while the other had a sharp and deadly-looking hat.

"Who are you?" The taller man questioned sternly, his eyes scrunching in question. "Speak, or you will be forced to leave!"

Kuai Liang was ready to speak, when he was quieted by Hanzo.

"Thunder God Raiden," Said Hanzo, kneeling to the floor looking up to the man. "We are refugees who ask of you to help us. We are being hunted down by the Lin Kuei clan. These three are renegades of their Grandmaster's rules, as they helped me escape from the clan's imprisonment. We simply ask that you help us for a short period of time!"

"Lord Raiden, this seems sketchy." The man with the blade hat said. "We should not allow them inside. We cannot risk another attack on the temple!"

"Kung Lao, do not jump to such hasty conclusions." The demigod said. "We cannot accuse these four so quickly. We also cannot leave them stranded here, especially after they came all this way for our help."

"Lord Raiden, I would agree with you in any other circumstance," The man with the long hair began. "But Kung Lao has a point. We cannot risk anything anymore, especially after the attack. We also have no more time. We need to discover who did this and retrieve the Map of Elements before Earthrealm is struck by disaster!"

"I understand that, Liu Kang, but we cannot be so heartless as to leave these four alone."

"But Lord Raiden-"

"I did it!" Kuai Liang blurted out, catching Raiden and his two companions' attention. "I attacked the temple, alongside my brother, Bi-Han."

"What?" Raiden questioned. "Why?"

"We were tasked to retrieve the Map of Elements." Kuai Liang said calmly, keeping his composure in front of the powerful demigod. "Our Grandmaster gave us the mission of retrieving the Map of Elements, the item that my brother had given to a sorcerer. Though I still care about him, I deeply hate his decision. He broke the promise we made and caused the wrongful death of the Shirai Ryu."

"Never mind the Shirai Ryu!" Kung Lao spoke over the concerned voice of Raiden. "All of Earthrealm is in danger, and it's all because of you and your brother! I knew we couldn't trust any of you!"

"Kung Lao, calm down!" Liu Kang yelled. "He did not give that map to the sorcerer. That was his brother's own doing."

"He still aided him in stealing it! He shouldn't even be allowed to be here!"

"I left the Lin Kuei because of it!" Kuai Liang yelled. "My friends and I took the grave risk of leaving the clan, as well as helping Scorpion escape! I may have indirectly caused his clan's death, but I want to correct my wrongs, starting with the map. I am willing to do whatever it takes to retrieve that map!"

"It is not the map that you need to worry about," Raiden butted in. "It is the item that it directs you to. The Amulet that belonged to the Fallen Elder God, Shinnok. We cannot let this supposed sorcerer get his hands on the amulet! We must go to the Temple of Elements, immediately!"

Raiden hastily began to create a portal, allowing them all to easily pass through.

Kuai Liang sighed deeply to himself as he walked into the portal, behind his two friends and the man he could only call 'acquaintance'.

The Cryomancer could feel a surge of energy around him as he was suddenly teleported outside of a large temple established over a pit of blistering hot lava. Towering over them, Kuai Liang gazed in awe at the sheer size of the building. He knew exactly what resided in the confines of the temple.

"The amulet is kept here, guarded and monitored by the Fire Elemental Guardian." Raiden stated. "Only warriors who are powerful enough can enter here and survive."

"Shall we accompany you to check on the amulet, Lord Raiden?" Liu Kang asked softly.

"No, Liu Kang. It will only be a quick moment."

Raiden shot his arm up into the sky, before teleporting away, into the large building. The two Shaolin monks stood idly by, while Kuai Liang and his other three companions stood aside too. They kept quiet, neither group wanting to speak to each other. Kuai felt that it was for the best. He had not gone on a good note with Raiden, nor the two Shaolin monks. He didn't need to further corrupt what was already becoming ruined.

Several minutes had passed when Kuai Liang felt a sudden jolt in his stomach and he felt a certain uneasiness crawl up his spine, its sharp nails scrapping him into submission. He felt his breath falter as he began to look around hastily, catching the attention of the others around him.

"Kuai Liang, are you okay?" Smoke asked, worry in his voice as he wrapped his arm around his shoulder. "Is something the matter?"

The Cryomancer shook his head quickly, before looking at the entrance of the temple. His ears caught the distant sound of lightning, and he felt the gut-churning feeling even more.

"Something's wrong!" Kuai Liang yelled out, scrunching his face painfully. Images of his brother flashed in his head as the sound of lightning intensified. One image sprang up for a split second, jolting him. His brother... He had become-

The doors to the temple bursted wide open as Raiden was shot out from within the temple by an intense explosion. All the men blocked their faces with their arms as the bright explosion blocked their sights. Kuai Liang turned away from the explosion, setting his eyes towards the temple's entrance.

He felt his breath catch in his throat as he saw the absolute worst sight.

Bi-Han walked out of the temple, accompanied by a cyborg colored a bright red.

Kuai Liang felt anger and guilt beginning to boil up in his stomach as he gazed at his brother, who stared back at him with telltale sickly orange-glowing eyes. Seeing him in this state sickened him, as he could only see that his once bright skin had now turned to a disgusting gray, with veins of yellow adorned throughout his body.

His brother had been turned into a revenant, an event that had happened despite his best efforts to prevent it.

He had been accompanied by a cyborg, one all to familiar to him. Confusion spilled within his head as he tried to grasp the thought of the Cyber initiative already being in place. He couldn't make any sense of it. The initiative was not supposed to occur until the next couple of years!

Kuai watched as his brother stepped over to him, grabbing him by the collar of his outfit. He was tugged forcibly by him, a sharp ice dagger aimed at the side of his head.

"Hello, little brother." Bi-Han hissed sadistically. "I'm glad we found each other again."

"Bi-Han! No! This is not you!" Kuai Liang yelled as he looked into his brother's glowing eyes. "You are not supposed to be this! Bi-Han, snap out of it!"

With a snarl, the revenant threw him to the side. His head turned to look at Kuai, who gazed at him with such hurt.

"You left me to die!" Bi-Han growled angrily. "You abandoned me just like our father did to us! You left me behind for that ninja, the one that caused my death, just like he caused Hydro's! You forsook me, Kuai Liang!"

"No! Bi-Han, that was not the case! You sacrificed yourself for us! I wanted to return to aid you, but I could not!"

"Stop blurting out lies! You are a betrayer! You are a novice! You are nothing without me, Tundra!"

Kuai Liang could only grunt with frustration as he tried to lift himself back up. He was promptly kicked to the floor by his brother.

Bi-Han smiled devilishly as he gazed furiously at his brother, lifting his foot high, before beginning to send it down towards his head. Kuai shut his eyes, waiting for the impact, but only heard a loud grunt as he opened his eyes again.

Cyrax had his arm in the air as Bi-Han landed to the floor with a grunt. The man gave a satisfied grin as he began to help the younger Cryomancer up.

Bi-Han glared at the two before he began to form an Ice Ball. As Kuai Liang began to do the same, a funnel of smoke interrupted the elder Cryomancer. Melting away the Ice Ball, Smoke reappeared by Kuai's side, lightly patting his shoulder.

All Kuai could do was frown angrily at his brother, who had recovered from the intense heat radiating from the smoke. In a moment of desperation, Kuai Liang formed another Ice Ball, sending it flying forwards his brother.

Bi-Han quickly dodged it and instantly created an ice sword, which he sent flying towards the trio. Kuai quickly formed a shield of ice, causing both it and the shield to break simultaneously. His brother formed another sword and shot towards them, aiming the sword for a strike. As he brought it down upon them, it was halted by a katana. Pushed back by the weapon, Bi-Han grunted in dissatisfaction at the sight of Hanzo, who had held his sword in front of the three men while he breathed heavily.

Kuai looked at Hanzo with utter confusion and awe, wondering why he had done the action he did. Too many thoughts rampaged within his head to allow him to touch on it any further.

Bi-Han retracted his sword, before swinging it at Hanzo. The ninja deflected it, striking back hard with his steel sword. The two struck time and time again, their swords only impacting against each other with great force. In an unexpected turn of events, Hanzo's sword was flung to the side by Bi-Han.

With an evil smile, Bi-Han swiped his sword at Hanzo. At the same moment, the ninja had taken out his tanto. He dropped to the floor, narrowly missing the ice sword, before he gave a strong jab at Bi-Han's leg. The revenant yelled out in pain, before stomping on Hanzo's hand.

The two separated from each other quickly, with Hanzo rapidly rising to his feet. The two were now at a stand still, one waiting for the other to make a move. They breathed heavily as they stared each other down, Hanzo's fiery eyes combatting against Bi-Han's cold stare. Hanzo was ready to grab his discarded tanto from the floor when a shout came from behind them.

A portal had suddenly formed at the end of the bridge they stood on. From it came Quan Chi, who had yelled out to his two minions.

"Sub-Zero!" Quan Chi yelled out. "Sektor! To the portal!"

"This isn't over, Scorpion!" Bi-Han yelled. "You and Tundra will pay for what you two have done!"

Bi-Han glared one last time at Hanzo and the three ex-Lin Kuei members before running towards the portal. He phased through it, as did Sektor, before it immediately disappeared.

Kuai Liang fell to his knees as he groaned deeply. Smoke and Cyrax went to his side, their hands touching his shoulders.

"I can't believe he's..." Kuai Liang mumbled weakly. "I didn't intend for this to happen! I didn't want for this to happen!"

"Kuai, I'm sorry..." Smoke muttered. "This isn't your fault. He stayed behind to help us escape. Do not blame yourself for what happened to him."

"But I could have helped him!" Yelled the Cryomancer. "I could have prevented him from becoming that! All I did was cause him to turn into..."

"A Revenant!" Said Raiden, who had walked to Kuai Liang. "Your brother was turned into a revenant by Quan Chi, the sorcerer that helped him and that robot escape."

"I never thought he would become that..."

"Quan Chi does not care who he affects, as long as he gains control over the souls of powerful warriors. He stole your brother's soul to create that thing. However, I am unsure about the robot. I am only aware of his power to create these undead minions."

"The Cyber Initiative." Kuei Liang said softly as he quickly created a fake excuse for his knowledge of the initiative. "I had overheard of this program from the Grandmaster some time back, but had never thought it would lead to this. I do not know how he got access to this kind of technology so easily, but it has shown to be very dangerous!"

"We will ponder on that later." Raiden said. "Right now, you need to fix the error that you and your brother created! You will go to the Netherrealm to retrieve that Amulet, or else you will be the cause for Earthrealm's destruction!"

"I understand, Raiden." Kuai Liang murmured, his eyes closing softly.

"Make haste, young man." Said the demigod.

Raiden began to create a portal in front of him, causing Kuai Liang to sigh deeply. He began to calm his tattered mind as he prepared himself for the treacherous mission in Netherrealm. Once Raiden had finished with the portal, Kuai began to walk inside, his face showing determination.

"Wait!" A voice called out. "I'm going with him!"

Kuai Liang turned his head to the voice, the one that belonged to Smoke. His friend gave him a small smile, as did Cyrax.

"Me too!" Cyrax exclaimed. "Wherever he goes, we go!"

"It is astonishing that you two wish to go to the Netherrealm with him." Said Raiden, his eyebrow cocked. "Not many would be willing to trek that hellscape. Though I do not wish for you two to be hurt in that place, I do commend you both for helping your friend. So, for showing bravery, I will allow you two to accompany your friend."

Smoke and Cyrax nodded to the demigod, bowing a bit, before striding over to Kuai Liang, who had a light grin on his face.

"Are you sure you are willing to come along?" Kuai asked seriously. "What we are to face here is no pushover. We must use our full, raw strength and abilities to prevail, to save Earthrealm."

"Kuai Liang, we are a team!" Cyrax said with enthusiasm. "We are like brothers. We will be there to help you retrieve that amulet."

"Yeah." Smoke said. "Like he said. Haha!"

Kuai smiled at the two again. He quickly looked to Hanzo, who had watched from a distance as they prepared to leave. Kuai raised his index finger up to his two friends, before he walked towards the ninja.

"Scorpion." He said. "I know it may not be the best thing to ask, but would you be willing to come with us to retrieve the amulet? Strength in numbers is possibly the best factor we can have."

"I do not want to keep associating myself with you, Tundra." Hanzo stated. "I have done more than enough for you. All I would simply like is to go back to my clan's region once more."

"What if..." Kuai Liang thought carefully. "We asked Raiden to help you return? Perhaps he would be willing to as a reward for helping him with this mission."

Hanzo stood silently, his eyes looking away from the Cryomancer. After a few seconds, he responded.

"Fine." Said Hanzo. "I will join you three. But, if any of you decide to try and betray me or leave me behind, I will kill all three of you...!"

"Understood." Kuai mumbled.

"Now, let us go. We must leave at once!"

Hanzo nodded, walking to the portal and straight into it. Smoke and Cyrax cocked their eyebrows in confusion at the sudden act, but they just accepted it, entering the portal as well.

Kuai Liang looked back at the scene, finding Raiden and his two monks already gone.

He gave a solemn sigh as he, too, walked into the portal to hell.


	9. 8: Going Through Hell

Kuai Liang could feel a blast of hot air whip his face as he took his first steps into the Netherrealm. He had expected that heat to hit him, considering the realm's harsh conditions. However, he wasn't expecting hands to grab him the instant he came into the realm. He was pinned to the floor as his arms were twisted to be behind his back. He was tugged to his feet and was pulled away by a grotesque and disturbing-looking being. He made no attempt to struggle. He knew it would have only resulted as a futile action.

Kuai focused his eyes forward to find that his other group members had suffered the same fate. They, too, were being tugged inside of a giant building placed in the middle of deadly fire and rough terrain. In the distance, mountains of crimson-red stone lined the horizon. From within them spilled lava, glowing intensely as it ran down the mountainsides like blood.

After what seemed like many minutes, Kuai Liang felt himself being tugged back by the being holding him captive. He turned to the thing, finding it, and a few others, opening one of the prison chambers. Panicked, he tried to look for his group mates, but they, too, had been taken away elsewhere. Before he could try to deliver an attack, he was shoved into the chamber.

Kuai stumbled a bit, frustrated about the situation. He grunted angrily as he gazed through the barred openings that let him see outside the chamber. He searched intensely for his friends and for Hanzo, but could not find anything but more of those entities.

He kept his attention so engrossed on looking out of the opening that he failed to realize that there had been someone inside the chamber with him. Catching the sound of footsteps, Kuai turned around, finding familiar glowing eyes staring at him. His lips pursed tightly, knowing who he was with.

"I guess I didn't have to wait too long to see you again, little brother...!" Said Bi-Han in a creepy tone, his grin dark as he stepped out of the chamber's shadows. "At least now I can punish you for your misdeeds without any sort of disturbance."

Bi-Han suddenly balled his fist up, coating it in ice, before sending it flying to Kuai. Caught off guard, the younger Cryomancer flew back from the sheer force of the hit. Groaning angrily, he quickly got back to his feet, before he got into a fighting stance. He watched as his brother stood a small distance away, waiting for him to make the next move.

Kuai's eyes glared at his brother as he got a notion. He didn't want to, but he knew it was necessary.

Without warning, the young man lowered his entire body, extending his arms out towards Bi-Han, before shooting out a series of darts in rapid succession. The darts struck his brother quickly, making him flinch and stumble a bit. Using the small amount of time to his advantage, Kuai then ran towards his brother, before lifting his right leg and kicking him straight in the chest.

Seeing his brother like this hurt him so much... so, so much... But he could only see the puppet, the slave Quan Chi created. Anger flared within him randomly as he stepped towards his brother quickly. He formed a large ice axe as he stepped ever so closer. Using all of his strength, Kuai lifted the axe over his head, ready to bring it down against Bi-Han. It came down fast, merely missing Bi-Han, who had rolled out of the way in time.

Kuai felt a kick to the back of his legs as Bi-Han got back up to his feet. He fell to the floor as his brother now hovered over him, his glowing eyes piercing him.

"Where did you learn these new moves, Kuai Liang?" Bi-Han asked sternly. "You should not be as powerful as you have shown yourself to be! You are weak! You always will be! That is why you caused my death and saved that Shirai Ryu filth!"

"You sacrificed yourself for me! I am not to blame for your death!"

"But you are!" Bi-Han exclaimed, his tone dark. "If I had killed that stupid ninja, I would still be alive. You do nothing right, Kuai Liang! You are nothing but shameless filth, filth that I have the misfortune of calling my brother!"

Kuai Liang felt a sting in his heart, but he suppressed it, replacing it with anger. He quickly formed an Ice Ball, before sending it hurling towards Bi-Han. The revenant tried to block it with his armored arms, but failed to lift his arms up in time. He yelled for a split second, before he was frozen solid.

Tired of his brother's words, he dragged his frozen body to the wall, freezing him into place by his feet and his arms, restraining him. He looked back at his brother one last time, giving a small sigh, before walking to the opposite entrance of the chamber.

He knew he couldn't stay here any longer. He needed to get out and look for his group mates.

Kuai took many steps back, till he was touching the opposite end of the chamber. Giving out a soft sigh as he prepared for another move, he let his eyes rest of the door and began running towards it. Ice crystals formed under his feet as he began to slide on the floor now. As he closed in on the door, he quickly formed a thick layer of ice over his shoulder, before he slammed into the chamber's door. The entire structure shook lightly as the door still stood, though it seemed to have protruded out just a bit more.

Dusting himself of the ice shards, he jogged back to the other side, readying himself to repeat his actions. He did so a couple more times, and it almost seemed as if he was out of luck. However, after the fourth Cold Shoulder, the door was almost ready to come off of its hinges. By this time, he had caught the attention of a few of the prison guards. Wasting no time, he performed his move one final time, just as the door that was in good condition had been opened. He slid across the chamber's floor, into the already wrecked door, making it fly off its hinges and down below onto the Netherrealm's maroon floors.

He stopped himself right outside he chamber. He looked ahead, finding the path cut in sections, with a long drop below. Kuai Liang breathed in and out calmly, gazing at the platforms that were his only method of pushing on further.

He blew into a full sprint, jumping once his feet reached the edge of the first platform he was on. Flying for a split second, he stretched his arms out, barely grabbing onto the edge of the other platform. He breathed out in relief, climbing up to the top.

He looked ahead, finding more of the same. With a groan, he pushed on, only able to hope that his friends and Hanzo were okay.

* * *

"Hurry!" Yelled Smoke, running fast, with Cyrax by his side. "That smokescreen won't keep them distracted for long!"

"But your smoke causes very intense burns!" Cyrax shouted, his breath faltering a bit. "How will that not work on them?"

"Cyrax, they are Netherrealm beings." Smoke said. "They are likely made to be resistant to fire and heat. If we had Kuai Liang with us, then perhaps we could have just frozen them instead."

"Yes, thinking about it now, it does make sense." Cyrax gasped. "But I don't care about that anymore. We need to find Kuai soon! We got caught off guard when entering that portal."

"That sorcerer may have been aware of our intentions. He called for us to be imprisoned and hoped we wouldn't escape!"

"The dense bastard should have known better!" Cyrax yelled. "We are trained assassins! Like hell were going to be trapped in some dinky prison chamber!"

Smoke laughed a bit.

"You got that right! No set of bars is trapping us!"

The two men kept running, though they slowed their pace down to a light jog. Cyrax caught his breath for a few seconds before speaking once more.

"Do you think Kuai got captured too?"

"No doubt about it." Smoke said. "Those beasts were probably only expecting him anyways. I don't think they knew about us."

"And what about Scorpion?"

"Well, what about him?" Smoke said, looking over at Cyrax with an eyebrow raised. "He's a ninja. I'm sure his clan trained him well too. He could probably hold his own."

"But what if he's in trouble." Cyrax said. "Kuai Liang seemed to take a liking to him. I don't think he'd be happy to see him go."

"What do you mean he's taken a liking to him?" Smoke asked. "He's just helping him return to his homeland. That's all! If he hadn't done so, then perhaps we'd still be at the temple."

"Smoke, what he did was perhaps for the better. Did you see what they did to Sektor? What if we were next to be turned into something as soulless as a robot?"

Smoke's lips pursed as he kept himself from commenting on the question. He knew Cyrax was right, at least in some sense. He did not want to subject himself to something as demeaning as becoming a cyborg. But, he also did not fully support what Kuai Liang did. He had risked so much just for one man.

He had agreed to help him nonetheless, because he was like a brother. He didn't want to abandon him or leave him to die. They were close, as was Cyrax to him. They were a group and would continue to be a group.

But Cyrax's little claim about Kuai seemed to poke out like a bad sore now. Did he really start to like the ninja? Why else did he save him? Surely it's just because of his merciful nature...

"Cyrax," Smoke said as they slowed their pace to a walk. "About Kuai Liang... What did you mean when you said he took a liking to Scorpion?"

"You haven't focused on him much, have you?" Cyrax questioned. "He... uh... How can I put this? He looks at him... a lot. The gleam in his eyes when I caught sight of it, his body language when he'd speak with him..."

"I think..." Cyrax mumbled. "I think Kuai Liang has some feelings for him."

Smoke gave his friend a face of utter confusion, before he began to laugh. He slapped him on the back as he let his laughs die down. Wiping a tear away, he looked to Cyrax, who held a face of seriousness. Now, Smoke's eyebrow perked up.

"Kuai Liang... You think that Kuai Liang, the clan's second most powerful assassin, is attracted to men?"

"I think he is just attracted to Scorpion as of now. He has not shown any sort of interest in any man or woman until now. He's kept himself rather cold and isolated when it came to having a lover."

"But why Scorpion, of all people? And why a man, too?"

"Smoke, there is nothing wrong with him liking men." Cyrax said. "That is not his defining factor. His Cryomancy and assassination skills are what we look at, not what he likes to enjoy in a bedroom."

"It's just... Kuai Liang never struck me as a..."

"We never know what anybody is, to be honest." Cyrax mumbled. "We can never directly look into somebody's soul or heart. Everyone has their own likings and distaste for different things. We just merely have to support who they are."

"Cyrax..." Smoke said. "When did you become so mature and poetic?"

Cyrax grinned at him, punching his lightly on the shoulder. Smoke chuckled, rubbing his shoulder.

"Come on." Smoke said, motioning to Cyrax with his head. "Let's go find Kuai Liang. Perhaps we can find his crush along the way too."

Cyrax rolled his eyes, grinning to his friend as they began to run again.

* * *

"They're definitely mortals." Mumbled the assassin. "Those four still have their soul intact within their bodies."

"No mortal can live in this realm with an intact soul!" Mumbled the second assassin.

"Unless Shinnok allowed for these four to keep their souls." Interjected the first assassin.

"I'll inform Quan Chi of their presence." Said the third assassin. "You two can try to track and contain them."

The other two nodded, while the third assassin departed.

* * *

Phasing into a room with a throne at the end, the assassin walked slowly, her eyes catching sight of the sorcerer.

"Sir, four mortals have escaped the Prison of Souls." She stated. "They are headed towards the Sea of Immortality."

"Mortals?" Asked Quan Chi. "Describe them to me!"

"Two of them do not have any powers, it seems. They are just well trained in close combat. One of the two, however, does seem to have explosives and electronic gear on his arsenal."

"And the third?"

"I... am not sure if he's really a mortal or not. He has the appearance of one, but his powers... they are that of an Enenra."

"The fourth one is the most worrisome." The assassin said softly. "He has Cryomancy with him, and he seems to be much more experienced than your Revenant Cryomancer.

Quan Chi growled to himself, before speaking to the assassin.

"That should not be possible!" Exclaimed the sorcerer. "My Revenant is the eldest brother of the two Cryomancers! That novice should not have more skill than his more experienced brother!"

"I do not know how he has this much power at such a young age!" Exclaimed the assassin. "But he is by far the most dangerous mortal we've seen thus far. He's already swept through many of the guards in the Prison of Souls! Not even his companions, or even the Enenra, have shown this much power!"

"Alert the Keepers!" He exclaimed. "I want those other three mortals to die!"

"And what about the fourth mortal?"

"If you can capture and kill him, that would be advantageous to us. However, if, out of some miracle, he lives, I will take care of him. Now, go, Sareena! We have no time to waste!"

She bowed to the sorcerer one last time, before walking back to the end of the room and teleporting away.

* * *

Using his full potential was relieving, to say the least. He had missed being able to perform his most powerful and deadly attacks without being questioned by his colleagues. He missed the feeling of such intense ice shooting from his hands, freezing his opponents solid in a split second.

Kuai Liang reveled in the temporary solitude he had. As much as he enjoyed the company of his close ones, he held these moments of loneliness close to him, especially now that he could use his powers without arousing suspicion of his secret.

He easily sliced through the Keepers that came his way. His hatchet-like ice weapons made clean cuts, as did his larger battle-like ice axe.

He had never taken any sort of sick pleasure in killing, not even when he was still referred to as Tundra - a rookie Cryomancer and assassin. But, after such a long time abstaining from using his real potential, he couldn't help but feel a tiny spark of joy. Twenty plus years had taken a toll on his patience.

He jumped up high, escaping the clutches of a Keeper. In the few seconds he was airborne, he formed another ice axe, flinging it to another Keeper nearby. The weapon lodged itself deep into the creature's skull, making it crumple to the floor, before tumbling down into the Sea of Immortality.

When he came back down to the floor, he immediately slid on the floor, performing a Cold Shoulder. As the Keeper that he evaded beforehand was struck and temporarily stunned, he took away his shoulder ice, now forming two axes and slicing at the Keeper, before taking those two weapons away and forming the largest axe. He sent it down onto the Keeper, slicing it clean down the middle.

With a satisfied look, he continued on. As he was about to enter what looked to be a fortress, he heard a voice in the distance.

"Kuai Liang!" The voice rang out from afar. "Kuai!"

He turned around, his eyes scrunching towards the other part of the bridge. He could see two people, one with white hair, the other in yellow attire. His eyes widened as he began to run towards the two.

His feet slammed against the hard stone of the bridge. Puddles of blood that he left behind splashed as he stepped into them while trying to reach his two friends.

After a few minutes, he finally came face to face with Smoke and Cyrax.

"We finally found you!" Smoke exclaimed. "This place is so confusing. We had trouble trying to find you."

"But after seeing your path of destruction." Cyrax pointed to the scattered remains of the Keepers. "We knew you had probably gone by here. Glad we listened to our guts because who knows where we would have been if we sent elsewhere."

Kuai Liang nodded to his two friends, but he had finally began to realize that their fourth group member was still missing.

"Where is Scorpion?" Kuai Liang asked, his face worried and serious. "Did you come across him on your way here?"

The two shook their heads softly.

"We weren't sure where these things left him. It was hard enough for us to try and get out without alarming the guards. Smoke was only able to escape because of his powers."

"We had to leave the area quick. They nearly caught us again, but I was able to distract them with a smokescreen."

Kuai's eyes stared off elsewhere, beyond his two friends, into the distance. He began to think about Hanzo, dark thoughts poisoning his state of mind. He began to worry even more as he saw images of the ninja dead flash through his mind.

"We need to find him!" Kuai Liang said. "He needs to come with us or else he will be stuck here forever!"

"Kuai, he is fine." Smoke said, grabbing his friend's shoulders. "He is a trained warrior. He is more than capable of holding out on his own. When we retrieve the amulet, we can look for him then. But, right now, we need to get that thing. That Thunder God is depending on us to retrieve it."

"I-I..." Kuai stuttered, before composing himself and breathing in and out softly. "You're right. Perhaps I need to hold some more faith in him. I'm sure he can fight his way to us eventually."

"And if he doesn't?" Cyrax interjected. Smoke nudged him hard on the side, mouthing a curse word at him.

Kuai was not facing his friends. With his back to them, he responded.

"He is getting out of this hellscape with us..." The Cryomancer mumbled. "I will make sure of that..."

Kuai Liang began to walk towards the fortress now, his two friends looking at each other worryingly, before following after him.

* * *

The fortress was a hellish labyrinth to them. Kuai Liang felt himself grow more and more mad as they killed more Keepers, yet not finding any sort of way to advance any further.

He knew that there was a way to get to Quan Chi. When he had spoken with Sareena in his past life, she had told her story about her and Bi-Han. His memory was fuzzy, but she had mentioned a crystal of sorts. Was that what he needed in order to get to the sorcerer?

"There's a chamber up ahead!" Smoke yelled. "What do we do now?"

A chamber... Could it be that the Netherrealm assassin was in there?

"I'll go inside first." Said Kuai. "You two can protect me from the back. We aren't sure what's in here."

Smoke nodded, as did Cyrax.

Walking up to the chamber's entrance, Kuai Liang opened its doors, finding it to be extremely dim, the torches inside barely lighting it up at all. The floor glimmered from the torches, the walls lined with what seemed to be pedestals of some sort.

Kuai Liang was about to motion to his two friends when he was suddenly struck in the jaw by a foot.

Falling to the floor, his back to the ground, he watched as a female stepped out from the shadows.

"Your time ends here, Mortal!" Said the woman, before sending her boomerang blades down towards Kuai's chest. He grabbed at her wrists, wrestling against her strength, before beginning to freeze her arms. Fearfully, she let go of her boomerang blades, trying to defrost her arms.

As Kuai Liang got to his feet, Smoke appeared behind the demon assassin, locking her in a choke hold. He was about to tell him to let her go when Cyrax sped past him, striking at her abdomen with his elbow. Her eyes widened as she began to cough violently.

"Kill her, Cyrax!" Smoke shouted, his grip still going strong. "Hurry!"

The man nodded, sliding out a knife from a pocket on his uniform. As he was ready to strike at the woman's head, he heard footsteps to his side, and instinctively, he moved out of the way. As he jumped back and looked to where he had stood, he found a sword retracting itself to another woman; one with white hair and a complexion similar to his own.

"We will not be bested by mere Mortals!" Boomed the woman. "Sareena! Help Kia!"

A third woman ran out of the dark, striking down her dual Kamas at Smoke. He let go of Kia, before teleporting away in a cloud of smoke.

Smoke, Cyrax, and Kuai Liang looked at the assassins, Kia, Jataaka, and Sareena, who approached them with hesitance.

"Relinquish your freedom, Mortals!" Shouted Jataaka. "You shall not escape our clutches! It is our duty as Quan Chi's assassins to kill you three and retrieve your souls!"

"Kia, you go for the yellow one." Said Jataaka, signaling towards Cyrax. "Sareena can fight the Cryomancer. I'll take care of the Enenra."

The group of three men backed away a little as the three assassins began to walk to them. Smoke looked to Kuai, before speaking briefly.

"What is an Enenra?" Smoke asked, before he was interrupted by the slashing of a sword through the air, the noise it produced equivalent to a whistle. Smoke dodged each swipe directed at him, before he found an opening once the woman sent her katana upwards. With great force, he sent a smoke-heated uppercut towards Jataaka's jaw, causing her to cry out in pain as she flew in the air a bit, before falling back down.

The woman quickly recovered from the stunning move, her katana gripped with two hands as blood stained her mouth.

"You are much stronger than you appear, Mortal." Jataaka hissed lowly. "The creature has made you a very strong and formidable being."

"What is this 'Enenra' you keep speaking of?" Smoke asked, his arms raised to his face in defense.

Jataaka cocked her eyebrow at him for a bit, before beginning to laugh to herself.

"Oh, you are completely clueless!" Exclaimed the assassin. "You are an Enenra! You're a terrifying creature of smoke and ash! You are no real mortal! You are a monster, just like us! You are a Netherrealm native!"

Smoke's face became cloaked in a veil of shock at the sudden revelation. He shook his head violently, trying to rid himself of the thoughts beginning to cloud his mind. He glared at the assassin as he spoke.

"It doesn't matter what I am!" He yelled. "I will never be a part of this horrible realm!"

"Keep telling yourself that, Enenra." Scoffed the female assassin as she retracted her arm with the sword. "You will join us sooner or later. Shinnok and Quan Chi shall bind you to their bidding in due time!"

Jataaka moved forward now, her sword attempting to slice through Smoke's suit and skin. He moved with ease and precision, his skills with quick movements and evasion having been honed over the years after being forced into the position of a stealth assassin for the Lin Kuei.

His eyes followed the blade, each strike consisting of yet another miss. He was so engrossed with the blade itself that he hadn't realized that Jataaka retracted her left hand, which had shot towards Smoke and grabbed him by the neck.

Lifting him from the ground, Jataaka threw him over her head, slamming him to the floor with ease. As Smoke tried to recover, gasping for the air he lost with the slam, Jataaka raised her sword, which now had a bright, blue glow to it.

"Don't worry, Enenra." Jataaka mumbled. "Soon, Quan Chi will make you a much more formidable warrior, just like your little friend, the Revenant Cryomancer."

She gave a yell as she brought her sword down. It stopped abruptly, and as she looked, she found Smoke gripping the blade, his hands slicing open, the lacerations cauterizing and smoldering from the swords beaming glow.

He screamed in pain, blood running down the length of his arms, but he used all of his strength to push the sword in another direction, away from his body. He was able to grip it just right that he tugged the blade from Jataaka's grasp. With a terribly flushed face, he scowled at her, before yelling as he turned the sword's blade torwards her. The still-glowing blade imbedded itself into the assassin. Her mouth widened into an 'O' shape, her eyes open fully in shock.

Jataaka gave a gasp and a small shriek as she attempted to take the blade out. However, as she tried, Smoke grabbed the handle, while staring straight into her eyes. His gaze held anger and fire as he twisted the blade inside her. She screamed in agony, before collapsing to the floor, disintegrating into a pile of flesh. A ball of glowing energy emerged from the pile, before it quickly departed.

Smoke huffed in relief, but hissed painfully at the wounds on his hands. He looked to his two companions, who were still fighting off the other two assassins.

He looked to Cyrax, who had Kia pinned to the floor with one arm, while the other arm held a dagger. A couple of seconds later, the weapon dug itself into the woman's neck, causing her to choke violently, before suffering the same fate as Jataaka.

Cyrax got to his feet, turning around. His eyes widened suddenly and he signaled to Smoke to turn to look.

He looked over to his right, finding Kuai Liang still clashing with Sareena. However, something about the two seemed off.

The Cryomancer wasn't attacking the female assassin much. Once in a while, he'd get hit by a punch or nearly struck by a kama, but he didn't even seem to try and hurt her. Why was he not attacking her?

Smoke began to run to Kuai, who was blocking Sareena's Kamas with his own dual ice axes. Smoke jumped a little into the air, before teleporting, appearing by Sareena and landing an uppercut on her. She stumbled back, her Kamas falling away. In the same instance, he sent a ball of smoke to her feet, causing her to teleport and be flung down from high in the air.

Another uppercut was delivered, and he grabbed her now as she began to fall. Twirling in place, the assassin in his arms, he sent her into a wall, where she cried painfully as she collapsed to the floor.

Sareena began to get up, her legs trembling as she groaned softly. Smoke looked at her briefly, before beginning to walk towards her, his hand lifting up. A stream of grey smoke began to shoot out of his fingers as he coiled all except two fingers into his palm.

"Please..." She whimpered meekly. "S-Spare me..."

Without any sign of mercy, Smoke grabbed Sareena's face, ready to insert his smoke stream into her system, when his free arm was gripped by a cold touch.

"Do not kill her." Said Kuai Liang, his face serious. "She pleads for mercy. Perhaps we should adhere to her wish."

"Kuai, what are you talking about?!" Asked Smoke, his brows furrowed. "She is an assassin! She was sent here to kill us! If we leave her alive, she will just come back and try to get rid of us once more."

"She will not harm us, Smoke." Said Kuai. "She is far too beaten up to even attempt to fight us as a group. It would be especially difficult for her once Scorpion joins us again."

"You are making a mistake, Kuai Liang." Smoke said darkly. "Sparing lives will not help us at all. Look at what happened when we decided to help Scorpion? Bi-Han got turned into that... Thing! The Shirai Ryu scum isn't even here to help us! He's likely abandoned us and scurried off back to Earthrealm!"

"You do not know that!"

"And how would you know that I'm wrong, then?!" Smoke yelled, letting Sareena fall away from his grasp. Her unconscious body lay on the floor. The two looked at the woman briefly, before glaring at each other once more.

"Saving this assassin could be a fatal error we can make." Smoke growled, his finger pointing sternly at the Cryomancer. "Saving that ninja did not not help us at all. All it earned us was the death of Bi-Han. It only handed us the lives of fugitives, now that we are rebels of the Lin Kuei! They will find and kill us, Kuai Liang! Nothing good has come out of this!"

"And what about the Cyberization of Lin Kuei warriors like Sektor?!" Kuai retorted. "That repulsive program would have struck all of us had we resided in the temple! You, Cyrax, and Bi-Han would all be mindless puppets, following the directions of a single leader!"

"That is not much of a difference from what we already dealt with."

"We hold soul and passion in our abilities, Smoke!" Kuai exclaimed. "Those robots know nothing but follow orders! All it is is a shameful upgrade for wrathful people, like Sektor, who value power over their own heart and soul!"

Smoke looked at Kuai Liang, his eyes scrunching a bit. He shook his head with a light chuckle.

"You see what all of this has led up to?" Said the man. "We have never bickered like this in our years of being friends! The instant that ninja came into the picture, you just seemed to value him over us! We've been there with you ever since you were eight! This man has only been an acquaintance for a week!"

Kuai Liang's eyes looked at him, then slowly fell to the floor. Guilt began to seep into his system, making him furrow his brows and making him frown deeply.

"I..." Kuai mumbled. "I hadn't realized I had gone that far."

"How could you fail to see how deteriorated our group has become?" Smoke asked, his voice cracking a little. "We just want normalcy again! All I learned throughout this week was that I'm bound to some creature called an Enenra! What the hell does that mean for me now? What am I? A demon? A human? A god forsaken Netherrealm creature?!"

Kuai Liang bit his tongue harshly, trying his best to not answer his friend's questions. He knew who he was. He could easily tell him who he really was and how he had binded to the creature. But, he was playing with a potential disaster. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't say anything. He simply kept his mouth zipped on the info he had.

"Why do I stick my neck out for you so much, Kuai Liang?!" Smoke questioned, his voice loud. Cyrax had since joined them, but he had kept a small distance. He could only watch in disappointment as his two friends disputed.

"Why can't you just let him go?" Smoke asked, his eyebrows lowering in sorrow. "He won't be with you forever. He'll leave you once he has the chance. You're just prolonging potential pain."

Kuai Liang looked at Smoke, hurt and cracked away a little. He simply shook his head. He simply went to the two piles of flesh, digging through them to retrieve two crystals. He walked to Sareena's unconscious body, where he found the last crystal on the floor near her.

Without saying a word, the Cryomancer exited the room. Smoke sighed, glancing at Sareena, then at Cyrax, before signaling to his friend to move on. The two exited the chamber, the intensity and thickness in the air following suit.


	10. 9: Kombating Hell

The Fortress's labyrinth has tired them out greatly. They had grown frustrated, and Kuai Liang had distanced himself a bit. The thickness in the air, present because of the tension between the three men and also due to the Netherrealm's scorching temperatures, seemed to drag them down little by little.

Smoke kept his eyes on Kuai, trying to see where exactly he was taking them. They had traversed so many halls, taken so many trips up and down floors within the fortress, and all it resulted in was fatigue. He felt absolutely tired, both physically and mentally.

Cyrax dragged behind the two, his lips pursed as he tried his best to not focus on the argument that his friends had had. He didn't want to take a side. They were both like brothers to him.

He found Smoke's argument compelling, to say the least. Kuai Liang's merciful nature was bringing too much weight onto their backs, and their only reward was misery and death. Scorpion wasn't contributing much to their group. Him being saved was starting to seem rather pointless.

But he also couldn't help but agree with Kuai Liang too. Scorpion had gotten his clan killed wrongfully. The least Kuai could do was just let him go and restore whatever was left of his broken life.

Cyrax gave a small sigh, shaking his head with his eyes shut. He didn't want this. He just wanted everything to return the way it was.

He knew it was not possible anymore. He knew he had signed up for a newer, more dangerous life the instant he sided with Smoke and Kuai Liang in helping Scorpion. He didn't take his decision with such sourness, however. He had accepted his choice.

Cryax's thoughts were interrupted by Kuai Liang breaking the silence between them.

"This may be where we go." Said Kuai, digging through his pockets for something. "Using these crystals might help us with something."

"How are you even sure that these crystals are actually needed here?" Asked Smoke, his voice low.

"We've been using them to use these different platforms to take us to different floors in the fortress. It is not absurd to think that these crystals still serve a greater purpose here."

"Whatever you say, Tundra." Smoke rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say."

Kuai Liang's eyelids lowered in slight annoyance, but he brushed off the rude gesture. He held the three crystals up into the air, waiting for something to unlock or open. A couple seconds passed, and nothing seemed to happen, until one of the three crystals began to levitate up into the air. It stayed suspended, rotating slowly, as if waiting for something else to happen.

Kuai Liang looked at the design of the jagged stone around them. He also glanced at the platform they stood on and he suddenly began to piece together an idea.

"This isn't doing anything, Tundra." Smoke mumbled. "Why did I take your word seriously?"

"Quiet, Smoke!" Kuai exclaimed, his index finger raised as his eyes shut tightly. "A notion is forming! I feel like there is more to these things, I just know it!"

"Look, Kuai Liang,"Shouted Smoke. "these crystals don't do anything but help us use these platforms! That's it! That's all! It's not going to do anything else!"

Kuai Liang gave Smoke a look of anger.

"You are welcome to stay here, Smoke." Kuai Liang mumbled. "I am trying my best to find a way to that sorcerer, and your little comments are not helping."

"Oh, I suppose it'd be quite alright." Smoke glared back at Kuai. "I'm sure the monsters here won't mind another one of their kind joining their ranks."

Kuai Liang's face twitched a little in anger, but he quickly composed himself. He lifted the two crystals into the air, making the platform they stood on begin to descend.

He felt like he had seen an area very similar to this one. He had seen it while they were trying to find any sort of entrance that could lead to Quan Chi's residing place.

There were two other platforms just like this one located in other parts of the fortress... What if...

"Where are we going, Kuai Liang?" Cyrax asked.

"He's taking us to the sorcerer, can't you see?" Smoke scoffed. "He's going to perform a magic ritual with those crystals and bring us to the sorcerer's lair! I'm sure it'll work out just fine."

Cyrax looked at Smoke angrily, before looking at Kuai, who was staring into space, his thoughts running.

"Kuai!" Cyrax yelled. "Kuai Liang! Netherrealm to Kuai!"

"What is he doing now?" Smoke asked, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"I don't know. He's in some sort of trance."

"Do you think that sorcerer got ahold of him or something?"

"No. That's not it. It just looks like he's focusing on some-"

"The platforms!" Kuai Liang shouted out abruptly, making the other two jump in surprise. "These platforms use a specific crystal! If we can get them with their corresponding platforms, perhaps we may open something!"

Smoke crossed his arms, his eyebrow cocked up.

"How can you be so sure that this is going to work?"

"I know it will work! There is nothing else that these things are useful for."

"But-"

Cyrax gripped Smoke's shoulder, causing him to look at the man, who was shaking his head. Smoke gritted his teeth, but obliged to Kuai Liang.

"Let's go, then." Smoke mumbled, pointing at the long corridor that appeared before them as the platform they stood on had finally came to a halt. Cyrax and Kuai nodded, and the three began to walk down the corridor, towards the direction of the other two platforms.

* * *

"So, you're sure this is going to work." Cyrax said, his voice having a hint of doubt. "These crystals are going to take us to Quan Chi."

"I never stated that they guaranteed us that," Kuai Liang said, the crystal in his hand. "But, from what we've seen, the other two crystals have been suspended in mid air. Perhaps this one will do the same."

"Well, then go for it." Cyrax said, his hand extending to point at the air. Kuai Liang nodded, his hand rising up into the air, the crystal between his fingers.

It began to dislodge itself from between Kuai's fingers, flying up into the air, twirling in place. Kuai Liang stepped back, as did Smoke and Cyrax. Suddenly, a bright beam of green light shot out from somewhere to their right, striking the crystal. The same kind of beam came from their left now, and it, too, struck the crystal.

The intense light caused the three to cover their eyes, barely able to see that the crystal they had just used was also beginning to shoot a beam of green light. Energy began to flow through them as they began to phase away, disappearing, leaving only a brief flash of light as a sign of their presence.

* * *

It felt as if they were flying through air, their faces being whipped by some sort of force similar to wind. Moments passed before they finally began to stop, their eyes catching sight of a new room, one unfamiliar to them.

Their eyes adjusted a little as they took in their surroundings. It didn't take long for them to look ahead, finding the sorcerer, Quan Chi, sitting on a throne, his face angered and serious.

"So, Sareena, Jataaka, and Kia weren't strong enough to kill you." Quan Chi mumbled, his shining eyes piercing them. "Well, It'd be rather rude not to welcome you three. I hope you have enjoyed your stay here, in my home."

"Where is the Amulet, Quan Chi?" Growled Kuai Liang, his eyes scrunched fiercely.

"You are in the wrong place, Tundra." Said the sorcerer. "You would find that item at the Pyramid's apex, strapped to the neck of Shinnok. You and your minions seemed to have arrived much too late."

"We were set back by your influences!" Said Kuai, his finger pointing at him. "You are going to regret ever making us come here!"

"I did not make you come here, Tundra." Grinned Quan Chi, his smile devilish. "That was Raiden's own doing. He saw the darkness in all of you. He was smart to send the ones who are not of pure heart, for they are not capable of even reaching this realm."

"You do not know what you speak of!"

"Of course, I do!" Yelled Quan Chi, his eyebrows furrowed. "You hold the most darkness out of the others. You have the blood of the innocent spilled onto your hands."

"As for your minions, they, too, hold malice within them. The Enenra's evil has bound itself to this mortal's soul. The other one is poisoned by envy, a wellspring of it that has not seen the light of day in many years. The ninja holds wrath, towards you, your two companions, and your entire clan. He only does all of this for his own wants!"

"It does not matter whether we've been tainted with evil or not. We will never bow to your influence!"

"The Brotherhood of Shadows would become better and stronger if you would join us. You would be under the rule of our leader, Shinnok!"

"That will never happen, sorcerer." Kuai grumbled darkly as he got into fighting stance.

Quan Chi's eyelids lowered in frustration as he spoke, "Then, so be it, ninja... "

The sorcerer put his hands close, and from them, a concentrated beam of yellow light came into form. He quickly aimed it at Kuai, before shooting it straight at him.

Kuai Liang quickly crouched to the floor, as did his two companions as they merely dodged the beam. However, as they began to stand fully again, Quan Chi teleported, appearing behind them and summoning a pillar of yellow light. It began to lift the three into the air, catching them by surprise as they attempted to escape.

However, in the seconds they were kept afloat, Quan Chi created a ball of energy, shooting it at them while they were vulnerable.

Pain surged through the bodies of the three warriors as they felt the energy hit them like a thousand punches. They were thrown back down to the air, the knockback of the energy shoving them away from the levitating energy field.

Smoke and Cyrax began to get to their feet, when Quan Chi ran to them. As he closed in on them, he began to twirl in place, his arms locked in front of him. The blades on his forearms now turned into a deadly slicing mechanism.

Kuai Liang quickly realized what was happening and he quickly formed and shot an Ice Ball at Quan Chi, temporarily freezing him in place. The Cryomancer quickly scrambled to his feet, pulling his two friends back as the ice coating the sorcerer began to crack away.

Before Quan Chi could free himself, Kuai Liang quickly backed away, before dashing to him. When he felt he was at a good distance, he jumped into the air, sending a foot straight into his face. The sorcerer broke out of the ice as he was sent to the floor by Kuai Liang.

Quan Chi jumped up quickly, recovering from his hit. He teleported once more, and Kuai Liang, as well as Smoke and Cyrax, began to look around hastily, attempting to see where he would appear once more.

A battle cry from behind Smoke caused the man to quickly turn around, a fist flying up towards the sorcerer's lower jaw. He was sent flying into the air, briefly giving Smoke the chance to summon a billow of smoke under him that began to burn the sorcerer's flesh. Quan Chi fell into the smoke, continuing to yell in pain as he tried to escape the intense heat and blinding smokescreen.

Smoke summoned a ball of smoke into his hand, ready to use it on Quan Chi, when a dark growl caused him to pause in confusion.

Teleporting a bit away from the three, the sorcerer waved away remaining smoke, his gaze furious and pestered. "Enough of this!" Quan Chi shouted, green energy swarming around his hands. "You will do the biddings I wish for, puppets!"

The sorcerer extended his hands, shouting in frustration as the green energy from his hands began to surge towards them.

It was as if they had instantly been cut off from all sort of bodily movement. Kuai Liang attempted to move his hands, but could not do such a movement. He could see from his peripheral vision as his two friends also seemed to be moving erratically, like marionettes.

"This is where you will end, Tundra!" Boomed the sorcerer, grabbing the Cryomancer by the neck with a vice grip. "You will join my ranks and become my most prized possession. You will be the vessel that conquers over all others - even over your own brother!"

Kuai Liang's eyes widened in desperation, his brain trying to gain control again. He could feel Quan Chi's magic blocking out his mind, its energy much more stronger than his normal powers.

He knew it was time. He needed to. He was in a moment of life or death. If he did not use it now, he would lose his powers of time-bending. His last resort had arrived too soon.

Kuai Liang began to focus on his hidden power now. He began to reach down, deep into his concealed wellspring of power, the power of the Time Titan. As he was about to fuse his soul with the essence, the power, the sound of a chain and a sudden groan shocked him back to life.

Quan Chi's magic faded, his hands going to the kunai that was dug deep into his chest.

"GET OVER HERE!" Yelled a deep voice. Quan Chi was immediately tugged by the chained kunai afterwards. Kuai Liang, who was strewn onto the floor, looked up to find Hanzo, who had discarded his mask and had Quan Chi crippled to the floor.

His eyes widened with ecstasy, his newfound energy pushing him to stand back up. He immediately jogged to Hanzo, who stood tall and strong. Behind him was the female assassin, Sareena, who seemingly recovered from the injuries she had obtained. She had a small smile on her face as she looked at Kuai Liang approached.

"It seems you were in more trouble than I had initially speculated." Said Hanzo. "Luckily, I was able to find my way here. With the help of this woman, Sareena, I discovered your location."

"I deeply thank you, Ha-" Kuai paused, correcting his error. "Scorpion. Your arrival was a very fortunate occurrence."

Hanzo simply nodded, but his attention immediately went to Quan Chi, who was struggling to get back up. Kuai Liang's face contorted in anger as he began to approach the sorcerer. Towering over him, he kneeled down to the man's level, grabbing him by the edges of his collar.

Lifted into the air, Kuai Liang began to speak.

"It is time you reveal the truth, Quan Chi!" Yelled Kuai. "Tell Scorpion what truly happened with his clan. Who truly was behind their wrongful deaths!"

Quan Chi sneered in response, a light chuckle escaping his mouth.

"It does not matter whether I tell him or not. He will never have the clan he once knew. His family will never return to his side."

"Tell him THE TRUTH!" Spit flew out of Kuai Liang's mouth as his voice roared deeply. His hands began to freeze the collar of the sorcerer's close, shards of ice beginning to collect on his skin.

Quan Chi growled angrily, but he opened his mouth. "I will tell the truth!" Exclaimed the man. "I killed them! I massacred the Shirai Ryu! Aiding me in their deaths was the Lin Kuei member, Sektor, along with a few more corrupt clansmembers. We made quick work of the bastard clan!"

Kuai Liang was about to speak to the sorcerer, when he was suddenly tugged back by a strong grip. Stumbling a small distance away, Kuai looked back to Quan Chi, where he found Hanzo standing in front of him now. His eyes widened, shooting to the katana by his side, which was being unsheathed. He began to scramble towards the two, the long sword belonging to Hanzo already freed, raised high into the air.

Kuai Liang opened his mouth to shout at Hanzo. He yelled a loud 'No' as he extended his arm out, attempting to grab the ninja's left arm.

His fingers merely grazed his forearm as the sound of a sharp whistle reached his ears, before a loud grunt and a soft thud sounded too. Kuai Liang watched as a small stream of blood crawled towards his feet, coating the bottoms of them in a thin layer of the red fluid. The head of Quan Chi slowly rolled away, falling off the small bridge that they stood on.

He turned his head to his side, seeing Hanzo's rage embodied in his facial expression. His teeth were bared as his eyebrows were furrowed. Tears had welled up in his blazing eyes, his breathing hitched as he choked back a sob.

"The Shirai Ryu... My Harumi... My Satoshi..." Hanzo's voice cracked. "They speak through me... I am their messenger, their avenger... Their souls may finally be put to rest..."

Kuai Liang looked at Quan Chi's headless body, his hand landing on Hanzo's shoulder softly. He could feel the man's body trembling, trying its best to contain the cries begging to escape.

"I am sorry, Scorpion." Kuai mumbled, his eyes directed at nothing in particular. "I know it pains you so much, but please, just know, my friends and I are here for you. You do not need to be alone."

"I just wish to return..." Hanzo whispered, gripping the chain of his kunai. "I want to bury my family's remains, then retreat into solitude. I have no need for foreign connections. There is nobody left for me to be with."

Kuai Liang's eyes diverted elsewhere, his gaze forlorn at what the man had said. He was glad the sorcerer was dead, but at what cost? Hanzo still could not retrieve his old life. He, himself, could not even hope restore his brother to his original state, unless he were to rewind or restart time. He could not, however. He was playing a game of Russian Roulette, worrying every single time whether his next actions would bring about another moment of relief, or another moment of despair. He could not risk causing even worse damage than he had already bestowed.

The sudden sound of a beam charging up caused him to perk his head to his group. Behind them, a small distance away, levitated a figure adorned in robes and apparels of red, black, and green. He could see the beam forming from his hands, directed towards Smoke and Sareena.

"Smoke!" Kuai shouted, his finger pointing behind them. "Look out!"

Smoke quickly turned around, his face lit up by the beam of pink light. In a flash, he grabbed Sareena, who was by his side, before teleporting away, arriving next to Kuai Liang and Hanzo. He released a breath of relief as he let go of the female assassin.

"Who is that?" Smoke asked, his form already in a fighting stance. Kuai Liang bared his teeth a little as he answered his friend. "Shinnok...!"

The Fallen Elder God merely gazed at them with a sneer. He began to move towards them, not attempting to move swiftly. He seemed to be confident in his power, feeling that he could easily best mere mortals and a weakened demon assassin.

Cyrax was the first to make a move, sending an explosive towards the God's area. He merely teleported away as the explosion erupted, causing the bridge to shake violently.

Shinnok appeared behind them, and as Smoke shot a ball of smoke at the Elder God, he had created a pink energy barrier, causing it to merely blow up in a grey cloud.

"What do we do, Kuai Liang?" Smoke asked in a panic. Kuai quickly tried to come up with an idea, anything that could potentially help them defeat Shinnok. He was strong, but he seemed to be rather oblivious to their strength. If he could reach the Elder God's vulnerable side, he could take the Amulet.

"Distract Shinnok!" Kuai exclaimed. "I know what to do."

"Why must we have to distract him?" Asked Smoke, his mouth slightly agape in worry. "What will you be doing?"

"You need to trust me, Smoke. That is all I can say without compromising my plan."

"But-"

"Just trust me, brother!" Kuai yelled, running to the end of the bridge. He kept running till he was standing over a yellow platform, which glowed brightly. He quickly raised his hand, which caused him to suddenly dissipate, before coming back to full form at the other end of the bridge. He looked forward, where he saw Shinnok, facing away from him.

He gave a grunt of approval, forming an Ice Ball between his hands. A couple of seconds later and he sent it hurling towards Shinnok. It struck the Elder God, causing him to freeze in an erratic position. Kuai took the chance that he had and broke into sprint. He quickly reached the frozen Elder God. He retracted his hand and broke through the shell of ice, grabbing the Amulet, before tugging it forcibly.

Shinnok instantly broke out of the shell, screaming in anger as he backed away from where he had stood. His limbs began to twist and contort, elongating into freakishly long arms and legs. His clothes were ripped apart as his body also elongated, becoming lean and boney. His face, once looking human-like, had become grotesque and monster-like.

Kuai Liang backed away, as did the others as they saw the atrocious creature Shinnok had suddenly transformed into.

"What did you do!?" Cyrax yelled. "Why is he like that?!"

"He no longer has the Amulet!" Exclaimed Hanzo, his brows furrowed in concern. "His form could not cope with the sudden change. He lost his composure and became this... Thing!"

"Kuai, what do we do?" Cyrax asked, his eyes widened in worry. Kuai Liang's mouth was opened a little, his mouth formed into a frown. The roars emanating from Shinnok grew louder as Kuai began to lose hope.

His head shot to Shinnok, who stomped towards them slowly. A surge of cold fury suddenly grasped his soul, causing him to angrily form his dual axes.

"Take Sareena to the other end of the bridge." Demanded Kuai Liang. "Smoke, Cyrax, Scorpion, you stay there with her. I will take care of this monster, once and for all."

"Wait, Kuai!" Smoke and Cyrax shouted, but both men were quickly tugged back by Hanzo, who had his mouth tightened anxiously.

Kuai Liang turned around, facing the towering monster that was once Shinnok. The thing tilted its head to the left a little, inspecting the Cryomancer.

"You will not prevail, Shinnok!" Kuai shouted. "Your time ends here and now!"

The creature gave out a billowing roar as it slammed its arms onto the bridge's floor, before beginning to charge at Kuai.

Kuai Liang jumped up into the air, before flinging one of his axes at the monster. The blade imbedded itself into its chest, causing it to flinch a bit in pain. It quickly grabbed the weapon, breaking it into pieces as it continued to charge.

He jumped up again, narrowly missing a hit from its dead-looking hand. However, as he landed back onto the floor, he was suddenly hit by the creature's other hand. Thrown towards the group, he slowly rose to his feet, cringing a bit at the pain he felt.

He didn't know how long he could keep this up. Shinnok was too powerful for his normal abilities.

"Kuai Liang!" He recognized the voice. It was...!

"Use the Amulet! It is the only way!"

He turned around, finding Hanzo as the one who yelled. His heart seemed to swell, especially at the realization that he had been referred to by his real name, not his title. He nodded to Hanzo, before grabbing the Amulet from one of his pockets.

He could feel its intense and dark aura swirling, almost as if it were the waters of an intense sea. He faced it towards the grotesque Shinnok, before concentrating on it. He felt a surge of energy travel through his body as a loud boom played. A brief flash of light came from the Amulet, striking the monster and causing it to screech in utter pain.

He grunted with satisfaction, before concentrating again and causing another burst of light. The dark energy caused severe damage to the creature, but it also began to wear him down as well. He felt himself start to grow unsettled, but he continued to bombard the creature with bursts of light.

Flashes of memories began to run through his brain as he continued using the Amulet. The darkness was beginning to summon the things he had wished he could forget. Images of Hanzo's dead body and of him embracing the cold corpse flashed repeatedly. He felt his soul ache briefly, before he shook away the intruding thoughts.

He concentrated one last time, putting in his full mind power into the final blast. The Amulet shook violently, before suddenly releasing a blinding light more intense than any of blast before it. Kuai was thrown back by the force of the blast, while the Grotesque Shinnok cried out in agony, stumbling away from the Amulet, before slipping off of the bridge, down into what seemed like an eternal fall.

Kuai Liang propped himself up with his elbows, breathing heavily as he looked at the empty space where Shinnok had been. He sighed in relief as a hand stuck out next to him. He grabbed it and was heaved up to his feet.

Smoke took him into an embrace, speaking softly. "I'm sorry about what I said before, Kuai Liang."

"There is no need to apologize, Smoke."

"Yes, there is. I have been very foul towards you, even when you tried to be polite and formal with me. I don't know what it was that happened to me."

"Netherrealm's influence has taken a toll on all of us, my friend. It tried to break us away into pieces, but we are stronger than that. We will grow from these events."

Smoke smiled lightly, nodding to Kuai Liang. Cyrax came to their side, smiling as well, his posture relieved. Hanzo stood a couple feet away, watching curiously as the three spoke with each other. Sareena was smiling gleefully at the three.

Their small moment of calm was interrupted by a blue light that brightened the area. They all turned around, finding a portal. The five looked at each other, nodding briefly, before beginning to walk towards the portal. Smoke and Cyrax entered first, with Sareena and Hanzo afterwards.

Kuai Liang was ready to leave, when he realized that the Amulet was still on the floor, discarded at the end of the battle. He quickly walked to it and grabbed it. He was jogging back to the portal when his ears caught the sound of dark laughter. He abruptly stopped for a moment, listening in intently for a little while. After no further sounds, he shrugged it off as a random Netherrealm being, so he stepped into the portal, phasing away from the hellscape.


	11. 10: Assurance

It took a few seconds before he finally arrived to the other end of the portal. Stepping out, he found himself standing on a courtyard, with a large temple not too far off from him. He looked around, finding his two friends chatting happily. Hanzo was standing idly by. Sareena looked in awe at her surroundings, a bright smile on her face.

Kuai walked over to the female assassin first. He felt the need to speak with her. She looked at him hesitantly as he stood in front of her.

"So, you are Sareena." Mumbled Kuai. "I do hope you will be a great ally to us and to Earthrealm. We have suffered so many deceptions in so little time, recently."

"Do not worry..." Sareena slowed her speech, before cocking her eyebrow at him. "Sub-Zero, is it? That was the title your Revenant brother had. I am not quite sure what you are named."

"I am referred to as Tundra." Chuckled Kuai Liang. "Since my brother still officially holds the other title, even if a shell of himself, I still have to hold this title."

"Okay." Nodded Sareena. "As I was saying though, you do not need to worry. I pleaded for mercy back in the prison chamber because I had wanted to leave the Netherrealm for so long."

She gave a small sigh, before continuing.

"I was given demands to follow through with, but after I realized how powerful you four were, I grew desperate. I knew your group was capable of fighting back Quan Chi. You were my only hope left."

Kuai Liang nodded lightly, taking in the woman's short explanation. He was aware of her desire to leave the Netherrealm. However, he knew that his act of bringing the three others had brought Sareena a lot quicker to Earthrealm. She had originally been stuck much longer after being sent to the Netherrealm's 5th plane.

"I am certain you will be of excellent skill in this realm. You've been hardened by your time as an assassin. Perhaps, it is time you leave that past behind and start anew."

Sareena smiled lightly, before bowing to Kuai Liang as a show of gratitude. He mimicked her action, bowing to her as well.

Soon enough, they were approached by Raiden, who was accompanied by Liu Kang and Kung Lao.

"You and your group have shown to be worthy and powerful warriors." Raiden spoke. "Perhaps I underestimated you all."

"Who is the woman?" Asked Liu Kang, his eyes narrowed. "She was not with you when your group left."

"She was a rebel of Quan Chi and Shinnok's rule."

"I no longer wanted any part in the Brotherhood of Shadow." Said Sareena. "I felt that my place wasn't in Netherrealm. I had wanted to escape for so long, but Shinnok and Quan Chi were much too powerful. Only with Tundra's group was I able to leave, once and for all."

"And you are not a mortal?" Asked Raiden. "How do we know whether we can trust you or not? Perhaps this is one of Shinnok's tricks."

"I assure you, Raiden," Interjected Kuai Liang. "Sareena is not affiliated with those things anymore. She wants to change her ways."

"How can we be so sure?"

"I-" Kuai paused briefly. "I cannot give you any evidence that she is good-intentioned..."

"Let's just get this over with." Groaned Kung Lao, grabbing his hat and keeping it between his index finger and thumb.

"Wait!" Kuai exclaimed, his hands extending to stop the monk. "I know we have no way of telling whether she is good or not, but it does not mean we must judge her so quickly. I strongly believe that she is telling the truth."

"Lord Raiden," Liu Kang mumbled. "What do you suppose we do?"

"He is giving some rather good points, Liu Kang." Answered Raiden. "Perhaps we should take Tundra's word and allow her to live amongst our realm."

"But we should not trust her so soon, Lord Raiden." Said Kung Lao. "She could potentially use this to get us at our most vulnerable!"

"We said the same thing about Tundra," Commented the Thunder God. "But he returned from the Netherrealm, not only with the Amulet, but also with all of the souls of his companions still intact. He is more than meets the eye."

"But-"

"There is nothing else to speak of, you two." Raiden said firmly. "If Tundra feels that Sareena has good intentions, then I will hold him to his words."

Kuai Liang smiled lightly at Raiden, bowing to him a little. After a few seconds passed, Smoke, Cyrax, and Hanzo finally came to their location. In the quick glimpse Kuai was able to catch, he could see Hanzo's eyes, which seemed empty and burned out. Kuai kept watching as he merely stepped up to the Thunder God, standing straight forcibly by his own doing. He almost looked as if he would break any moment, as if he'd shatter like a glass at the slightest interference.

"Raiden," Spoke Hanzo. "We made a pact before I departed to the Netherrealm with Tundra's group."

"Yes. I have not forgotten."

"Then, you will take me back to my home?"

"Yes, Scorpion." Raiden nodded to him, understanding the man's need to return to his clan's homeland. "We can depart this instant, if you would like to."

"Yes, Raiden." Hanzo mumbled. The Thunder God nodded again, before raising his hand high. Thunder began to shoot from him, before it traveled to everyone else around him. In an instant, they were all teleported away with a flash of blue light.

* * *

Stepping out of the smoke produced by the lightning, Kuai Liang gazed around at the dark sights around him.

The Shirai Ryu grounds... Reduced to nothing but rubble, soot, and charcoal. The Fire Gardens were nothing but husks of their former beauty. The Temple he had visited Hanzo at many times in the old timeline was now caved in, wood burned to a black color. He could feel the heaviness and dread of the area. He could feel the energy, the spirits of the clansmen and clanswomen who resided here. Their agony resonated within him, making him shiver from the intensity of it all.

He looked to Hanzo now, who simply stood ahead, his back to them all. He could see his body jolt a bit at times, and Kuai Liang quickly realized what he was doing.

Hanzo fell to his knees, his body shaking intensely. Kuai Liang began to step towards him, everybody else simply standing back to witness what would seemingly unfold. He slowly went towards him, before kneeling to his level calmly. He could see the ninja crying profusely, his eyes tightened, his face beginning to redden.

"Hanzo, I am sorry..." Kuai mumbled. "I cannot even fathom how much pain you feel."

Kuai knew that these words were white lies. He felt the same suffering when his timeline's Hanzo had gone. He hadn't known that pain that Hanzo had felt until he had received the news. The scar was still tender to the touch, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to experience the agony all over again.

"It hurts so much, Tundra." Hanzo breathed roughly. "My family... I was not even gone for a day..."

Kuai gazed around again, his eyes scrunching miserably. He could picture the scene of the atrocity, and it burned him in his soul. He could feel the same things Hanzo felt. The sadness. The anger. The fire in his soul. The cold in his heart. He regularly seemed to hold the same things as his equal. He had realized that detail in his old life.

"Let us continue, Hanzo." Kuai said, his hand landing softly on his shoulder. "I am more than willing to help you put your family to rest. It is... the least I can do for you."

Hanzo turned his head to Kuai, his mouth forming into a pained frown as he nodded. He looked back down at the floor as he was helped back up to his feet by Kuai Liang. Hanzo said no other words, and he simply began to walk down a dirtied path, leaving him behind.

He was about to head after him when he was suddenly kept back by a hand on his shoulder. He turned quickly, finding Smoke, his face cloaked in concern.

"Smoke, what is this about?"

"I do not think you should go with him. He is heading deeper into his clan's grounds. How are we sure that he isn't using this as a way to get back at you?"

"Smoke!" Kuai shouted lightly, tugging himself away from his hand. "I thought you saw more to him after what he did for us in the Netherrealm. Why do you still feel such hesitance towards him?"

"I just don't want you to be hurt by his influence." Smoke mumbled, his face full of worry. "You're like a brother to me, Kuai. And seeing you hurt by someone we barely know would not sit well with me at all."

Kuai Liang's eyelids lowered as he looked at Smoke, a small grin forming. He chuckled lightly as he went to his friend, grabbing his shoulder lightly.

"There is no need to worry, Smoke." Kuai said. "I can hold my own as well. If I need to, I will not hold back."

Smoke nodded, his face smiling in hesitance. He backed away a little, allowing Kuai to continue forth down one of the beaten paths of the Shirai Ryu's grounds.

* * *

His feet would, at times, kick up spurts of dirt clouds, sending them to be whisked away by the small breeze present. This same breeze rustled the charred leaves of the fiery-looking trees, causing the blackened leaves to fall to the floor in heaps.

Kuai Liang could see the sight of blackened dirt coming into view. He knew from his past memories that he was beginning to come up to the houses, the small buildings where Hanzo would allow his clansmen and clanswomen to reside with their families.

He remembered helping his beloved in this area. As a way of showing their alliances with each other, Kuai had helped the residents with their day-to-day lives for a short while. He had enjoyed those days, when he experienced the true homeliness and warmth of being in the Shirai Ryu. It was such a big contrast from his past, which had consisted of nothing but relative isolation, days that were dark and cold as he suffered day in and day out with tiresome training and bitter conditions.

A chilled gust of wind sent the smell of burned flesh into his nostrils, shoving him back into reality. The horrid stench combined with the aroma of charred wood and the noxious fumes of the carbon still present in the air. He cringed from the unpleasantness in the air, but he pushed on.

Kuai Liang had finally arrived to the houses, which were nothing but husks of their prime selves. He would let his eyes wander once in a while, which caused to be filled with regret. Not only did he see the discarded and abandoned bodies of Hanzo's companions on the floor, against the broken walls, and in crudely made piles, but he could see the lives of the once living. Lost joy and warmth was all he could catch a quick glimpse of before he forcibly snapped himself back to his own senses.

He looked about, attempting to find any sign of Hanzo, when his eyes caught sight of the familiar yellow attire. He quickly broke into a small jog, heading to the man's location.

As he finally came close to Hanzo, he could see the man kneeling again, his hands digging away feverishly at the pile of burned wood on the floor. The house was caved in. It, too, was burned to the ground. Kuai didn't need to ask him what this was... He already knew...

He didn't speak any words, and, instead, simply began to aid Hanzo in his actions. He began to grab pieces of broken wood, throwing them to his empty side. This continued on for a couple more minutes, with the two simply throwing away wood as fast as possible, before Hanzo lifted his hand up to Kuai.

"You may stop, Tundra." Whispered Hanzo, putting his arm back to his side. "I want to search for them inside... Alone..."

Kuai Liang simply nodded to him, before backing away a bit. He watched as Hanzo began to crawl through the small hole they had made in the caved-in entrance.

He stood silently, allowing the chilling Japanese breeze to caress his face. His eyes stayed fixated on the entrance, even as the smell of death in the air mercilessly tormented his brain.

It took another few minute of patiently waiting before Hanzo finally emerged from the wreckage. He held no sort of body with him. All he had was a small plush toy in his palms, with a golden necklace wrapped loosely around his dirtied fingers. His other hand seemed to hold something too, as it was balled up tightly.

Hanzo began to walk again, heading back down the path they had taken before. Still, no words were exchanged. Kuai felt no need to speak either, respecting the silent grieving that he knew the ninja was certainly going through.

Kuai took a quick glance at the two items that Hanzo was carrying. The plush doll seemed to be of a simple bear - it was typical, yet very nice nonetheless. He then set his eyes upon the necklace, where he found that, attached to the beautiful gold chain, was a small gem, rather reddish pink in color. The light of the day refracted off of its flat surfaces, giving it the shine like that of a star.

They suddenly stopped walking, before Hanzo began to look at a tree in the Fire Gardens. The tree was alone, its leaves and branches relatively untouched by the attack on the clan and the grounds. The ninja gazed at it for a few more seconds, before glancing at the items in his hand. He slowly began to walk to the foot of the tree, softly putting the items next to its somewhat exposed roots.

Kuai slowly approached, watching as Hanzo began to dig a small hole a few inches in front of the foot of the tree. His empty hand did all the work, as the second hand still held whatever it was holding.

Kuai copied what Hanzo did, creating a second hole close to the first. Once in a while, his hand would brush against Hanzo's. Every time that would happen, Kuai had expected a certain spark, one that he had grown to recognize from his old life. And every time, he felt nothing. His heart sighed in pain, but he continued to dig away at the dried dirt.

The hole he had dug was finally a decent size, able to fit either of the two items that Hanzo had with him. He looked to the other hole, finding it roughly the same size.

Hanzo quickly glanced at the hole Kuai had made, before looking up at him, nodding lightly with a pained and forced smile.

He opened his balled up fist now, holding it over one of the holes. From his opened hand came a small stream of ash, which began to fall into the hole. He only allowed a small amount fall in before he closed his hand again. He repeated this same action with the second hole, letting the last of the ash fall in, before he lightly dusted off any residue into the hole as well.

Hanzo then proceeded to grab the two items he had brought with him. In one of the holes, he put the plush inside neatly. His fingers ran along its dirtied, synthetic fur, their touch longing for the warmth of Satoshi.

He then grabbed the necklace, wrapping it around his hand as he brought it up to his chest. He gave a guttural sigh, the pain begin to rise again.

"This was Harumi's favorite necklace." Hanzo mumbled. "I had given her this necklace when I proposed to her, along with her wedding ring. She had been confused as to why the gem was not one of her birth month."

"...I gave her this gem because it is beautiful and revitalizing, just as she made me feel." Said Hanzo. "Spinel... This is the gem she was to me. It's a wonderful gemstone, as it embodies freshness of heart and mind, ringing out the negativity of anyone. That's what she was to me - My rock that always made me feel revitalized every waking moment..."

Kuai Liang looked at him, feeling the pain he felt. He could only imagine for now how wonderful of a person Harumi had been. He felt horrible for being unable to save her... But he would not allow Hanzo to suffer the same fate as well. He knew that only he could bring back the Shirai Ryu with such prominence and honor.

"She must have been a wonderful wife." Commented Kuai, before creating another painful lie to say. "I do not know the pain you feel. I have not lost someone who I have given my heart to."

"This pain is something indescribable," Hanzo said, gazing at the necklace. "Even the hells and hardships of the Netherrealm could not quell me of this sadness and pain. I feel as if there is nothing left to save me, to keep me from going insane from the fury and anguish!"

"There is no need for isolation, Hanzo." Assured Kuai Liang. "You do not need to tuck yourself away and torture yourself with your own dark thoughts. I would not like to know of anything bad happening to you."

Hanzo tightened his grip on the necklace, before facing Kuai angrily.

"Why do you care so much?" Asked the ninja, his tone angry. "Why do you care so much for me? Why do you insist on aiding and assisting me in many of the things I'd rather choose to do alone?! Why do you torture and tease me with such a humbled and forgiving nature?!"

"I am not like my older brother." Kuai stated, his cheeks making his lower eyelids rise a little. "I care about those that I feel need that care. I aid you because I did not when you needed it the most. I convey these calmer natures, not to torment you, but to help you realize that you can trust me, that you can trust my friends and others around you. I do not want you to feel like you are less than them or me. You are your own warrior, your own fire. You must keep these things alive, for your family, for Raiden and Earthrealm, and for yourself!"

Hanzo's face contorted a bit, his eyes showing the pain within him. Kuai took a glance at his hands, finding them move upwards for a quick second, before stopping abruptly. The ninja had tiny tears beginning to form in his eyes, but he bowed a little to Kuai as he spoke.

"I apologize for my short outburst." He said softly, looking at the necklace in his grasp. "I must... leave this now. I'm sure Harumi is waiting for me to return it."

Kuai smiled lightly, his head nodding at him.

Hanzo let his hand lower into the small hole, letting the necklace slide off of his hand lightly. A sigh escaped his lips as he looked at the pink shimmer of the spinel one last time, before he began to pile the freshly-dug dirt back over the hole. More tears escaped his eyes as he did so, but he held his sobs in by force.

After he covered the hole for Harumi's necklace, he proceeded to do the same for Satoshi's hole, which held the plush bear. Only a few seconds had passed before, it, too, was finally covered by dirt.

His fingers touched the soil one last time, before he began to get to his full height. He extended his hand out to Kuai, who was still kneeling on the floor, staring at the two disturbed patches of dirt.

"We must let them rest for now, Tundra." Mumbled Hanzo. "They deserve it..."

With pursed lips, Kuai stood up now, beginning to walk alongside Hanzo.

"I'm sorry..." Whispered Kuai Liang, too low for him to hear.

* * *

"Where are they?" Asked Smoke, though the question was left open in the air. "It's been almost 30 minutes! They've taken too long to do whatever the ninja wanted to do."

"Have some respect, Smoke." Cyrax said. "The man lost his family and his clan. Perhaps he is paying his respects to them all. I know I would take my time taking it all in if Kuai Liang were to die."

Smoke breathed out from his nose, but he nodded to Cyrax.

"I'm just worried about him. I don't want him digging his own grave by associating with people we don't know well."

"He is not a child, Smoke. Kuai Liang is more than capable of taking care of himself."

"But, I do not want these feelings he has to backlash onto him. We don't know how well he can cope with liking someone who doesn't like him back."

"If that is the case... Then I guess he'll just learn the hard way."

Smoke nodded to Cyrax, before he looked towards the dirt path once again.

It did not take long before Kuai Liang and Hanzo finally arrived. The ninja stood tall, yet his head was directed towards the floor. Kuai walked by his side, eyeing the broken man.

Hanzo and Kuai slowly stepped towards Raiden, who was only a small distance away from where Smoke, Cyrax, and Sareena had stood.

"Thank you for bringing me here, Lord Raiden" said Hanzo, bowing to him. "I feel a bit more at ease knowing my family is at least at rest."

"I apologize for what occurred, Scorpion." Commented Raiden. "I do wish that this has at least allowed your pain to die down a bit."

"It has not. I am not sure if anything can drive that trauma and agony away..."

Raiden merely nodded. "Did Tundra assist you?"

"He did. His actions are respective and kind, yet him still bearing the remnants of his past life still tortures me."

Kuai Liang mentally slapped himself at the realization. He quickly looked down at his apparel, finding the Lin Kuei symbol on the chest. He cursed at himself, but kept a straight face.

"I am not sure what I am to do now. I cannot rebuild my clan again this soon. I don't have the resources, the members, nor the heart to build up once again."

"You do not need to stay here, Scorpion." Raiden assured the ninja. "You are more than welcome to reside at the White Lotus temple for a while. You've proven yourself a powerful warrior worthy of residing in such a sacred place."

"There is no need, Raiden." Mumbled Hanzo. "I am sure I can handle my own here."

"You do not even want to attempt to join us in the Mortal Kombat Tournament?"

"The Tournament?" Hanzo looked at the Thunder God in disbelief. "You would allow me to join Earthrealm's defenders in the Tournament?"

"I would allow you and Tundra, as well as his two friends. They have shown to be strong and capable to handling the other Kombatants."

"But..." Hanzo glanced at the ruins of the clan's grounds. "What about my home? What will I do with this desecrated region?"

"We will be more than happy to aid you in the Shirai Ryu's restoration. However, you must be willing to come with us and train for the Tournament."

"I..." The ninja looked painfully at the ruins once more. His eyes ran over the blackened wood of the temple and the dead trees that he had always seen with his wife.

He glanced behind himself, his eyes catching sight of Smoke, Cyrax, and Sareena, who all looked at him curiously, wondering what he would answer. He looked now to Kuai Liang, who stared back at him with concern written on his face. His eyes held genuine worry, as did his pursed lips, which barely twitched as he turned back to Raiden.

He gave a small sigh, before responding.

"I will... go with you, Raiden." Said Hanzo. "It pains me to leave my home once more, but... I must do this... for Earthrealm and for my family."

Raiden merely nodded to him.

"Then, let us depart." Said the demi-god, extending his arm into the air, before causing lightning to form around them all in a dome. In a flash, they teleported away, leaving the spirits and the ruins of the Shirai Ryu to reside in relative peace.

* * *

Kuai Liang had slowly felt himself being enveloped in a cloak of tranquility as he tugged a blanket up to his chest. He looked to Smoke and Cyrax, who were preparing their own resting quarters assigned to them by Raiden.

He felt immensely glad to know that they were all welcome to stay with Raiden. Though he knew this came at the price of attending and training for the Mortal Kombat tournament, he still felt a little hint of joy in being able to stay somewhere safe.

Smoke looked back at Kuai, grinning lightly at him.

"I see you have already conformed to the makeshift bed." Chuckled Smoke.

"It is better than sleeping as the monks do." Kuai commented lowly, as to not be caught saying such a comment.

"Yeah, that, you are right about." Smoke mumbled. His smile slowly went away, becoming straightened as he had finally finished readying his bed. He glanced once more at Kuai, before shaking his head lightly at the man with another tiny smile.

"So..." Smoke began. "You and Scorpion..."

Kuai's right eyebrow raised in question, before he turned himself to face his friend.

"What about him?" Kuai asked suspiciously.

"Well, Cyrax and I-"

"No! I noticed it first!" Cyrax interjected, grinning at both of them. "Don't credit yourself for something you didn't notice."

"Yeah, yeah! Whatever!" Smoke groaned, rolling his eyes at the chuckling Cyrax, before looking back at Kuai. "Well, we noticed that you seem to be rather fond of him. I know it is not right to assume such things, but... we think you may be attracted to him."

Kuai Liang looked at them in surprise. His face began to fluster, his eyes shifting away from Smoke and Cyrax. Smoke simply smirked slyly.

"So, it is true."

Kuai got up from his bed, before stepping up to Smoke and putting his face close to him.

"Do not say such a thing again!" Kuai said nervously. "I do not want him to hear of this."

"But, it is true, right?" Smoke asked, smirking still. Kuai's jaw clenched, the sound of his teeth grinding barely audible to Smoke.

"Yes, it is true." Sighed the Cryomancer. "I do hold some feelings for Hanzo."

"He's even on a first name basis, Smoke." Chuckled Cyrax. Smoke let out a snicker, earning him a glare of frustration from Kuai.

"Do not mock me, Smoke!" Kuai's eyebrows were lowered. "That goes for you too, Cyrax!"

"We're sorry! We're sorry!" Cyrax said in between small gasps. "It's just- Haha! This is so damn hilarious for no real reason!"

Smoke was on the floor now, laughing hard, wheezes and gasps of air sounding from him as he slammed his fist into the floor. Laughter from both of them only made Kuai grow more frustrated, yet he couldn't help but feel just a slight chuckle begin to arise. He rolled his eyes again, but continued.

"I know it is not right to call him by his real name just yet, but, I can't help but mutter that beautiful name over and over again." Kuai said. Smoke and Cyrax looked at each other briefly, before the elder of the two began to talk.

"Okay, lover boy. Calm down." Muttered Smoke, a grin still in his face. "You make it seem as if you've known him for years already."

Kuai Liang side glanced briefly, an action too fast for his friend to catch.

"_You wouldn't believe how many years we did spend together..._" Thought the man. He quickly shook himself back to real life.

"Do not ridicule me. I have never felt this way before, and your jokes are not helping me at all either."

Smoke dragged himself on the floor, towards Kuai. As he slowly slid closer, he talked.

"Do not worry, Kuai. We won't torment you into insanity. But, since we're like brothers, we will tease you once in a while."

Kuai grumbled in response, rolling his eyes for the umpteenth time.

"I guess..."

"Oh, come now, Kuai Liang," Smoke assured, wrapping his arm around his friend. "You know we're just messing with you. We don't mind you having feelings for once."

"Gee, thanks..."

Smoke huffed softly, a smile still on his face. The two men kept quiet for a short period of time, with both thinking of different things. It was only after Smoke felt the need to say more that he began again.

"Do you truly care about him, Kuai Liang?" Smoke asked, his tone more serious now.

"Yes, Smoke..." Kuai mumbled, his eyes staring at the floor. "I do care about him. Something within me tells me that he is special. He is due to become more than he seems."

"And you're willing to risk your emotional state for him?"

"If I have to sacrifice my heart and soul for the man, then I would suffer through that over and over again, just so I may see him have at least a hint of joy and tranquility."

Smoke nodded, huffing from his nose as his body twitched with the small laugh he gave.

"You really love him, don't you?"

"More than you can fathom, if I am being truthful."

"And you are willing to drop everything for him."

"I have felt nothing else stronger than the love I have for him. It's tight hold on me pushes me to do such a drastic act."

"Can I trust you to handle this love on your own? You will not need our help?"

"It will hurt, my friend, but, I guess I will learn the harsh truth of love if it does come to that."

Smoke nodded again, before bringing Kuai closer to him, his head bumping against his friend's. He hugged him just a little tighter.

"I trust you, Kuai Liang. And I will hold some trust for Scorpion too."

"Thank you, Smoke." Kuai said softly, feeling calm and collected again.

—

_A fiery blaze consumed the city, the skyline painted a horrid black as smoke choked out the bright sun. _

_The screams of civilians caught in his ears, the sight of his fellow Earthrealm protectors fighting back an unseen force grabbing his attention. _

_He watched as Johnny Cage threw an energized punch at an empty space, but was merely whisked away to the side like a rag doll. Sonya Blade shot beams of light at the same area, but they merely dissipated like ashes as they impacted the invisible being. _

_A stream of intensely-acidic liquid shot from the space, hitting Sonya and causing her to cry out in pain as she stepped back, clutching her sizzling arm and melting arm gear. _

_He stepped back worryingly, confused as to who exactly this being was. It could not be Reptile. The Saurian surely would have been restrained by a powerful kombatant such as Sonya or Johnny. It could not possibly be Smoke, as he had no sort of ability to shoot corrosive acid. _

_Before he could answer the question of who this was, he began to see the thing finally come to view. Reptile-like scales covered its body, and it may have been considered a Saurian, if not for the human-like face and the wings it had that were reminiscent to the mythological Outworld king, Onaga. _

_The creatures evil and piercing eyes stared straight into him. Instantly, he felt himself grow weak. His head pounded intensely, as if a thousand hammers were slamming into his skull. A sharp ringing sounded in his ear as his muscles began to ache terribly. His stomach twisted, before he felt himself retch. He felt incapacitated, unable to even move from his spot on the floor. _

_Gasping loudly, the sound of a pounding drum in his head growing louder, he gazed at the horrid creature, its terrifying yellowish-red eyes staring back. Using the last of his strength, he muttered a few words. _

_"**W-Who are you...**" Whispered Kuai Liang. _

_The being, which held a stone-cold face, moved its lips as a sharp ringing deafened Kuai. _

_"**I am the prodigy of the One Being. I am... B-**" _


	12. 11: Dawns of Destiny

It had been a week since the nightmare had occurred. He still had no explanation for it, and he couldn't even discuss it with anyone else.

The rice inside of his mouth had since turned to mush, but he hadn't focused on that. His mind kept going back to the dream. He kept seeing that horrid abomination that seemingly crippled him. He had never seen or even known of such a creature before. To his knowledge, Reptile had been one of the only remaining Saurians left. None were as prominent and powerful as the warrior, and he, himself, had never shown power such as that.

What really caused him to become uneasy was the sight of the wings that the thing had attached to itself. He had seen those wings before, in his previous life. He had seen and heard of Outworld's tales of their first ruler, the first Kahn that preceded Shao Kahn.

Onaga... The Dragon King.

Kuai remembered the details of the deceased king. He remembered hearing that one of his distinct features was the pair of large, thick, menacing wings.

Those same wings he saw in his dream...

A chill ran down his spine as he tried to come up with a reason for him seeing something as horrible as that creature. Nothing like it had ever existed, and he wanted to make sure it would never come into existence.

"Hey, Kuai," Smoke interrupted his thoughts. "Are you okay? You don't look so good."

Kuai finally swallowed the mush in his mouth, before speaking to Smoke.

"Yes, I am fine." Said the Cryomancer. "I'm just a little tired. I guess I'm just adjusting to these many changes."

"Heh, yeah." Smoke chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "I guess we're all sort of feeling like that. Cyrax and I have had a bit of trouble sleeping in our 'beds'. Sareena is afraid to sleep, thinking the Brotherhood of Shadow will find her and drag her back to the Netherrealm."

"Has Scorpion had any complaints." Kuai asked. He got a simple shake of the head and a shrug from his friend.

"The man hasn't really said a word to Cyrax and I. He's spoken a little with Sareena, but I don't think it's our business to see if he has a problem with this place."

"Perhaps you are right..." Kuai mumbled. "I am just worried that he won't like his situation and will leave."

"If he leaves, than that's his choice, Kuai Liang." Smoke said. "I know that you are very fond of him, but you can't just control or manipulate his every action to keep him here."

"I know that!" Kuai said loudly. "But I also know that if he leaves, he will be killed. The Lin Kuei will get to him, then, I'll only blame myself for that occurring."

Smoke wanted to speak more, but, as if on queue, Scorpion had entered the dining room now. His hair was let down now, though it was messy and unkept, likely due to him waking up not too long ago. His eyes looked tired, his mouth formed into a tired frown.

To Smoke, he only looked grumpier than he usually was, while Kuai Liang only felt a pang in his heart. He could still remember the days when he would stay with Hanzo at his clan's grounds, seeing his tired lover grumble about having to awaken from his beautiful slumber. Kuai only yearned deeper for those days to return to him.

"Good morning, Scorpion." Said Smoke, who nodded his head to the ninja. In return, he simply got a small hand raised to him. He huffed in sour amusement, before standing near Kuai. The ninja simply sat down on the floor, a bit far from where the two had been.

Kuai looked over at Hanzo, who had begun to eat by himself. The man had glanced up quickly, peeking over at Smoke and Kuai. In turn, the Cryomancer had nodded his head to him, a smile on his face. Hanzo simply laughed in the form of a huff.

Kuai looked back down at his rice bowl, smiling to himself, feeling a tinge of ecstasy within his soul now.

* * *

Kuai breathed in the fresh, crisp air of the morning. The sun had since risen now, its rays of brightness reaching over the towering mountains of the province.

He stood in the middle of the temple's courtyard, with Smoke, Cyrax, Scorpion, and Sareena alongside him. They all looked to the temple, where Raiden was now exiting, Liu Kang, Kung Lao, and a few other monks following suit.

Raiden reached Kuai and the others first. He nodded to them, while they all bowed to him, their right hands balling into a fist, while their left hand wrapped around their right fist. They rose back to a straightened position as the other monks finally stood in front of them.

"Good morning to you all." Said Raiden. "I hope you've each had a nice rest, for we are preparing for something much more extraneous."

The group of 5 looked at each other in confusion while Raiden continued.

"If we are going to be training for our tournament, than we will have to fight like we are in the tournament." Raiden explained. "So, starting today, you five will begin to practice fighting others, very similar to how a real Mortal Kombat tournament would play out."

"Wait." Cyrax interjected. "But how will this work? Will my friends' powers not be a lethal obstacle in these practices?"

"Normally, all of your human forms would be unable to muster such intense powers and attacks," Said Raiden. "But any time that Kombat is initiated, even one that is unofficial or random, will be influenced by the Elder Gods. They will bless the Kombatants with near invincibility, powers that allow you to survive even the most powerful of attacks."

"However, there is an exception to this." Stated Raiden. "If the match is 'To the Death', than the Elder Gods' blessing wears off after a certain time or after one Kombatant has lost a single, or, in some cases, both rounds. They are killed shortly after losing."

Cyrax nodded now, though his face showed hints of intrigue and astonishment.

"Well, then," Raiden said loudly. "It is time for us to begin training. Would any of you five like to volunteer first?"

Smoke, Cyrax, and Sareena looked at each other in wonder, before looking at Kuai, then at Hanzo. The Cryomancer gave a sigh, ready to volunteer first, when he was stopped by the voice of Hanzo.

"I will go first." Said the ninja, stepping forward from the group. Kuai cursed internally, but he simply kept himself quiet. Raiden simply nodded to him in general respect, before extending his hand towards the monks.

"Very well." Said Raiden. "Your first opponent will be Kung Lao!"

The monk in question stepped forward, a smug grin on his face. His fingers ran against the edge of his hat as he stood in front of Hanzo, straightened and still. Hanzo simply kept a stern and stone-like face as he turned to face the monk.

"Let us begin, then." Raiden said, stepping back from where the two men were.

Hanzo got into a fighting stance, as did Kung Lao as the fight was about to begin. A small beam of light shot through them so briefly that they almost failed to notice it. However, they were aware of its presence due to the intense energy and power it gave off onto them.

"Fight!"

Kung Lao was the first to make a move, swiftly grabbing ahold of his blade hat, throwing it towards Hanzo. The ninja had failed to notice it and was promptly struck, the blade digging deep into his body as it cut his flesh like a saw.

The hat came back to its owner like a boomerang, while Hanzo quickly got back onto his feet. His stern face showed his fiery passion as he ran forward, a fist already formed at shooting quickly towards Kung Lao.

As the ninja sent an uppercut, Kung Lao simply dissipated away in a blue light. His hat was left on the floor, causing Hanzo to stop dead in his tracks, confused and angered.

The sound of something emerging behind him caused Hanzo to quickly prepare another uppercut. As he felt a small gust of air rush past him, he nimbly turned around, his fist connecting with Kung Lao's lower jaw. The sound of something shattering caused those watching to cringe a little, though Hanzo was unfazed.

He quickly ran to Kung Lao, who groaned in pain as he was preparing to get back up. With no sign of mercy, Hanzo grabbed the monk's feet, before flinging him over his head and causing him to pound against the floor with a painful thud.

Hanzo, who was on his back, planted his legs to the floor, before using his legs and body strength to quickly spring back up to his feet. Kung Lao, on the other hand, got to his knees, spitting out a ball of bloodied spit, grunting in frustration.

Hanzo huffed amusingly as the monk sent his hat flying again, though, this time, it flew in a Z pattern. However, caught of guard by the first attack, the ninja failed to realize that it was a diversion, as Kung Lao now grabbed him suddenly, quickly twisting his arm back and making an audible breaking sound.

Hanzo cried out in pain, but Kung Lao mercilessly grabbed him from the floor, before twirling around rapidly, a blue aura around the two of them. The monk soon stopped, throwing the ninja to the floor hard.

His smug smile returned to him as he approached his opponent. Nimbly grabbing ahold of his hat, he was prepared for the other man to try and get back to his feet.

And, to everyone's surprise, Hanzo had struck in the most surprising way.

A kunai. His kunai. It had dug itself deep into Kung Lao's foot so fast that even the monk had not been prepared for the quick thinking of Hanzo. He had jumped back, the weapon still in his foot, while the ninja rose back up and grabbed his katana. All that earned was a growl from the monk.

Kung Lao stretched down, grabbing the kunai and annoyingly throwing it to Hanzo, who simply smirked from the man's small display of frustration. He kneeled to the floor and grabbed the kunai by its handle, rubbing the blood off onto his pants.

"Come on, ninja!" Kung Lao shouted, seemingly patronizing the man. "Is that all you've got? Is that all you were taught at your old clans grounds?"

Kuai Liang looked at Kung Lao achingly, before turning his attention to Hanzo. He did not need to even look into his eyes, nor even look at his face - Hanzo had grown furious!

And He seemed to discard away any care for the caution and evasiveness he had held not even a minute before.

Hanzo gripped his katana to the point that his knuckles grew white. His kunai has been sheathed back into place, though the man's hand was hovering near another that had a chain attached to it.

"You underestimate me, monk." His voice sounded cold, a terrifying juxtaposition to the burning fire within him. He approached the man with a quick pace. "This is what I was shown while in my clan's hands!"

He stopped suddenly, though his leg had quickly shot up into the air, striking Kung Lao in the face, giving him an opening.

Hanzo's katana struck at the legs of the monk, causing him to go airborn. In that same instance, he sheathed the blade, before rapidly grabbing the chained kunai. As Kung Lao quickly began to fall back down, Hanzo suddenly shot the kunai at him, the dagger digging into his chest.

"GET OVER HERE!" Hanzo shouted deeply as he pulled the other man to him.

However, as he did so, Kung Lao had grabbed ahold of the dagger, digging it out of himself. He chuckled weakly, smiling at Hanzo pridefully.

Hanzo returned the gesture as he gripped the chain harder, before gritting his teeth together, focusing his energy into the chain. Suddenly, the chains burst into flames, before they rapidly traveled to the other end of the weapon and blew up into Kung Lao's face. The flames simply enveloped the man like a blanket as he screamed fearfully, stumbling away as he attempted to smother the flames with his hands.

Kung Lao's yelps finally died down as he collapsed to the floor, groaning agonizingly. Hanzo simply returned to his position, standing tall and waiting for anymore directions.

Raiden and Liu Kang, on the other hand, had rushed to Kung Lao's aid, with the other monk helping him to his feet as his burns and wounds began to heal rapidly. Raiden let the two walk away as he approached Hanzo.

"You have surprised us all, Scorpion." Explained Raiden. "I was not aware that you held the power of pyromancy within you."

"Thank you, Raiden." Said Hanzo. "And as for my powers, those are not given to me by birthright."

"Then, how did you obtain such abilities?"

"Training." Said the man simply. "As the Shirai Ryu's strongest member, I was given the most vigorous and expansive training. My soul, my heart, and my mind were all trained to allow me to just act with basic pyromancy. It was only after training for much longer that I could finally channel my all into more powerful pyromancy."

"That is very interesting, Scorpion." Raiden said with an assuring smile. "You may return alongside your group mates. It is time for another one of them to show their skills with kombat."

Hanzo nodded, bowing to the Thunder God, before walking towards the group.

Smoke, Cyrax, and Sareena looked at the man with amazement. Kuai smiled proudly at him, though it was unseen by Him. He knew Hanzo wielded pyromancy as a mortal. It was one of the more personal details that he had been given when he lived his past life with the man.

"You learned that in your training?!" Asked Cyrax incredulously. "Smoke, we should have joined the Shirai Ryu instead! Clearly they're doing better things than the Lin Kuei!"

"I don't need to learn pyromancy!" Smoke retorted. "I already have typhokinesis and calokinesis with me. I don't need another power that I have no need for!"

Hanzo shook his head at the two as they continued speaking. Sareena took this as her chance to speak now.

"That was very impressive, Scorpion." She said. "You did not display this sort of power back in the Netherrealm, so this was quite a shock to see!"

"I use it when I choose to do so." Muttered Hanzo. "In that realm, I chose not to. I could see that Kuai Liang and his friends did not need my pyromancy, for the man had his own powers to use. My powers would have only impeded his cryomancy."

"I see." Said the woman. "Well, I suppose we'll be seeing much more of these powers in the future. I'm sure they'll be very useful during the Tournament."

"I suppose so..." Hanzo mumbled, turning quickly to the monks and finding one already in position. "It is time for someone else to begin kombat. Perhaps you can try your hand at it."

Sareena chuckled lightly, rubbing her head lightly. "I don't know. Perhaps this training is only meant for you four."

"Nonsense!" Hanzo chuckled lightly. "I'm sure you're more than capable of putting up a fight."

Sareena grinned lightly, before sighing in defeat and nodding.

"Okay, then... I'll do it!" She exclaimed with excitement. She began to walk away from the group, soon standing in front of the unnamed monk. Raiden raised an eyebrow at her, rather confused by this action.

"Sareena..." He began. "Are you sure you want to do this? Mortal Kombat is not a game. It is brutal and painful."

"Yes, Raiden." She said. "I want to prove that I can fight for this realm. I want to show that I will give it my all in the name of Earthrealm and those who helped me escape that Hell we left behind."

Raiden smiled lightly, nodding in return. "Very well, then."

Sareena felt the surge of energy flow into her body. She grunted a little as she smiled lightly, feeling much more alive. She grabbed her Kamas from her waist as Raiden yelled out a command.

"Fight!"

* * *

Kuai Liang let out a sigh of relief as a rush of cold water ran over his body. He finally had the chance to wash himself of the day's training.

His clothes had been bathed in blood from the practice that Raiden had tasked them. He had not gone easy at all on the poor monk. He felt a bit guilty, but shrugged it off as best as he could.

The dried blood in his hair and face washed away as he scrubbed at his head. The chilled water relaxed his muscles, causing him to slouch a little in relief. He rubbed his hands against his chest, which had no signs of scars, unlike his previous life. He touched his face, also feeling nothing but soft skin.

...

Kuai began to wonder how much he would change with the decision he made years back. Things had differed from before. He had lost a lot, yet also gained some things too.

He just couldn't help but feel a tiny sense of doubt. He felt worry in finding out what would happen next.

The water washed away the grime and blood, but couldn't cleanse him of his regrets. He sighed deeply as he splashed more water onto himself, just trying his best to clear his mind. He rubbed his hands against his body roughly, before he bent his arms back, beginning to massage his back.

He sighed loudly in relief, his eyes shut as he felt the tense muscles in his back become softer and less pained.

He felt like nothing would be able to snap him out of this trance he felt.

* * *

Hanzo groaned weakly, the fatigue from the day having been collected onto him now. His towel tapped lightly against his back as he walked towards the temple's bathing room.

He wouldn't necessarily call it a bathing room, if he had to be honest. Those who "bathed" here merely splashed water onto themselves and tried their best to wash off as much dirtiness as they could. He was very drawn away by the concept, especially if it came to the idea that he would have to perform this with others in the same room.

He shook his head disapprovingly, sighing softly as he was getting closer to the room.

He began to drift off, thinking back to the past few days residing here at the White Lotus Temple. He still felt very off and out of place here. He felt like he was not meant to reside in the area, but he could not merely give up what he sought to do. He wanted to fight for the realm now. If he could not save his family and clan, then he would be there to save many others who are innocent and are caught in the midst of any chaos.

He was also not too fond at first in sharing a sleeping area with the three ex-Lin Kuei members and the assassin. Though his doubts and skepticism towards them had since departed, he just could not feel completely comfortable being with them.

He was especially put off by Kuai Liang. The man, though very polite and sincere, did not sit well with him. He couldn't help but feel some sort of feeling any time he was with him.

His smile always made him feel just a bit more warmer. The bright, hopeful look in his eyes that he was gifted every time he glanced at the Cryomancer. The laughs and chuckles he'd hear whenever his friends helped him release these sounds.

It all made him feel... better. Kuai Liang made him feel just a little more at ease. He made him feel much more calm and humble. Yet, he also made him feel stronger, as if his internal fire only grew brighter with the man's support.

Hanzo did not like this aspect of Kuai. He felt it was not right at all to feel a tad bit chipper every time the man he'd only known for a while did something that made him feel better.

He knew only of a palmful of people who could instantly snap away his discontent.

His mother had been one of those people. He had loved her so much and had always felt happy seeing her, especially when he had finally gotten the free time to visit her and have a nice day of temporary relaxation.

His child, Satoshi, had been another. His innocent, small smile and giggles made him feel alive and happy. He felt so nice every time his son was in his arms. The warmth from his child warmed his soul, making him smile deeply from the tranquility he would feel.

And his wife... She was his everything. He had loved her with such a passion. He loved Harumi with all the love anyone could have...

But why Kuai Liang? Why was this man, of all people, making him feel nice?

He had no answer. He wasn't sure if he wanted one anyways.

Hanzo just rolled his eyes in annoyance as he reached the bathing room. He pushed aside the curtains blocking the entrance, glancing up when the sounds inside caught his attention.

His eyes immediately locked onto Kuai Liang, who was washing himself. He was completely bare, skin showing, no clothes on whatsoever.

The ninja's face began to fluster intensely. He cursed mentally at the sight, even yelling at himself to exit that instant, yet he couldn't help but gaze at the Cryomancer's all.

The way the dim light of the room glistened against his chiseled and soft body. The way his rough, wet hands ran against his intriguing features as his face molded into a face of contentment from the pleasure of massaging his back. His muscular arms flexed with the stretching they underwent, showing the veins and muscles more.

Hanzo gulped deeply as he saw Kuai's defined and toned back. The muscles could clearly be seen as the man continued massaging himself. He could not help but begin to lower his gaze. His sights were capturing every detail and feature he saw.

He had not felt such things for a man before. He felt so disgusted with himself, yet he couldn't help but continue looking.

Hanzo was almost ready to gaze even lower when he shook himself out of his trance. He cringed lightly as he snapped himself back to life. Pushing his foreign thoughts away, he cleared his throat to alert Kuai of his presence.

The man, in turn, faced Hanzo, before jolting back in surprise. Again, Hanzo could see his front in full view, and what he saw only made him fluster more. He covered his eyes with his towel, but he couldn't let go of the image. The suddenly wrong, perverted thoughts in his head made him feel sick. But said sickness also held a tiny hint of wonder and interest with it.

"I deeply apologize!" Hanzo exclaimed as he gritted his teeth frustratingly. "I did not know you were in here as well."

The air in the room had gone colder, something he took note of. He was not aware that the other man's emotions could affect the environment around him.

"It is fine." The shaken voice of Kuai said. "I will leave right now. I do not want to keep you waiting for your turn to wash up."

He chuckled lightly to himself. He didn't mind at all waiting, yet the man took it upon himself to be overly kind and let him go next. By the Elder Gods, he despised the small feeling he felt in his gut and his chest.

Hanzo heard Kuai Liang approach the entrance to the bathing room. He laughed a little louder now, which caused the other man to let out a small apology, as well as a snicker too. He shook his head with an amused huff.

He had no idea what in the hell he felt anymore.

* * *

If he was freely able to restart any point in time in the current timeline without jeopardizing the future, he would have chosen the scene from just a minute ago. He still had so much heat convoluted in his face. His heart was beating fast as his stomach twisted from the embarrassment.

Kuai Liang did not even realize that Hanzo had been there. He was so enthralled by the relaxation he felt that he had not noticed the presence of the ninja. His body was covered in shards of ice from when he had been caught undressed. The shame had caused him to suddenly freeze the water at his feet and on his body.

He did not care though. He simply wanted to retreat to the room he shared with the other three and quickly go to sleep before he could face Hanzo again.

He just hoped this didn't soil any sort of connection he may have made with the man.

* * *

Kuai Liang felt the breeze of the chilling night creep in for a split second as he saw Hanzo close the door behind him. He gave a small, yearning sigh as he began to feel conflicted with his own feelings.

He wanted to follow after the man. He wasn't exactly sure what he did, not the reason for why he left during such a time, but he wanted to find out.

Yet, he also felt it was not right to intrude in Hanzo's affairs anymore than he had already done so in the past couple of weeks. He had helped convince him to stay at the temple, but felt like that was where he needed to cut off his influence. He wanted to approach as slow and calm as possible in order to not break what he felt was a fragile bond at the moment.

Perhaps he would attempt an approach another day.


	13. 12 Warming to Chilling

**_1 month later..._ **

Kuai felt the cold air of the night touch his face once again, the same way it had been for the past month. He had garnered just enough willpower to stop himself from following after Hanzo. For the past three to four weeks, he had dealt with his heart telling him to go, while his conscience fought back the urges.

Their connection had not grown all too much in the 30 days that had passed. They had interacted a bit more than before, but were only fellow fighters.

Every day, Kuai wanted to make a move, one that would allow him to possibly create a stronger bond with the ninja. However, he still felt that it wasn't time yet. Perhaps he'd been able to soon enough, but, for now, he could only keep his internal yearns.

* * *

Kuai Liang threw his ice axe at Liu Kang, the weapon barely missing the monk. A ball of fire flew towards him, causing him to crouch quickly, before he got up and began to freeze the floor in front of him. The man, caught off guard by the move, stepped on the patch, his feet beginning to become encrusted in hard ice.

However, focused and intent, Liu Kang began to melt the ice away with his pyromancy. Allowing himself to calm his head, the monk felt Kuai approach him.

In an instant, Kuai was gripped fiercely by the neck, before an intense blaze coated his entire body. He gritted his teeth and screamed internally as he was discarded to the floor. His burns quickly reduced away as he got back up, forming a Kori Blade, retracting it behind himself as he ran at Liu Kang.

The monk instinctively jumped out of the way, but, in a brief moment, Kuai halted his steps and speed by planting his feet to the floor, the bottoms of his shoes screeching loudly. He quickly swung the blade forward, sending it into Liu Kang's body and causing him to be lifted into the air.

With his free hand, Kuai formed an ice axe, also digging it into the other man's body as he lowered quickly to the ground. Blood caked his hands and his clothes as Liu Kang gave out, flattening onto the floor with a small groan.

He smiled lightly as Raiden announced him as the winner. He extended his hand out to Liu Kang, who was still on the floor, propping himself up with his arms. With a small, proud grin, Liu Kang took Kuai's hand.

The two quickly bowed to each other, before they walked to their own respective groups. Smoke patted his back, as did Cyrax and Sareena. Hanzo nodded to him, a tiny smile formed on his face. He returned the gesture to the man.

In the back of his head, he felt his heart push his conscience, leading it to decide on an action he wished he had done a month prior.

* * *

**_Later..._**

Yet again, Kuai heard the door to their room being opened carefully. He quickly looked up to find Hanzo once more, dressed in only a pair of pants. He could barely catch the view of the man's toned back touched by the moon's white light. His extended hair had a lustrous glow as well, making him appear angelic and beautiful.

A sudden sense of inspiration compelled him to step out of his blankets, his bare feet touching the stone cold floors. Tiptoeing carefully, he walked to the door, carefully twisting its doorknob, before he delicately opened the door enough for him to sneak through a crack in the entrance.

He looked back at the opened door, before beginning to walk down the corridor to the left of the room. He could feel Hanzo's familiar and warm presence left residing amongst the emptiness of the cool halls.

The warmth felt nice, its calming touch wrapping around his hands, causing him to feel an immense sense of both tranquility and melancholy.

Kuai felt a tear beginning to form in his shut eyes, carefully touching the liquid and gazing at the finger that glistened from the moisture it held. He was not aware that Hanzo felt such sadness still. He thought that a month of training and connecting with him and his friends would help the man a little.

Kuai was not aware that this was what conjured the idea within Hanzo to escape during the night, constantly isolating himself.

He wasted no time at all.

He quickly began to jog now, trying to catch up to Hanzo. The warmth grew stronger now as he saw the man, a small distance away, opening the large wooden doors leading out to the courtyard. Kuai quickly jogged forward, reaching the doors and opening them carefully. Their soft creaks seemed to alert Hanzo, who had been sitting on the steps leading into the temple, looking back at who was exiting the building.

Kuai slipped between a crack in the entrance, before walking to the stairs, his finger simply pointing at the floor to signal if he could sit next to him. Hanzo only scooted to the side a bit more, which allowed him to sit down.

The two sat quietly, Hanzo now staring up at the night sky's dotted canvas, while Kuai simply had his hands planted to the stone floor, feeling the dusty and rough surface. He glanced at Hanzo, before following his line of sight to the open skies.

Kuai could see the thousands of stars in the blackness and void-like state. He said nothing. He wasn't quite sure why Hanzo did this in his lonesomeness. He knew that what lay out there in the millions of different stars and planets may have not even compared to the oddities of other realms.

"What are you doing here, Tundra?" Asked Hanzo with a lightly hushed voice. "You've never been awake at this hour before. What brings you to be here now?"

"I saw you leaving our sleeping quarters." Said Kuai. "I've actually caught you on multiple occasions..."

"I do not like you snooping around my affairs, Tundra."

"Yes, that is reasonable. Perhaps I shouldn't eavesdrop on your actions, but curiosity is a killer. And, now, I ask politely - What exactly do you do when you reside out here?"

Kuai could not see the man's face too clearly. The blackness of the night could barely be pierced by the bright moonlight. However, he was almost certain that Hanzo's brows furrowed disapprovingly, yet the man still obliged to the presented question and answered, albeit with a sour tone.

"I just gaze at the skies..." Hanzo mumbled. "I just ponder on all that's happened. I think about my life choices, my future, and my past experiences. I always try my best to wade away from thinking about my family. It never works."

Kuai frowned a little as the other man continued.

"I always question whether attempting to retrieve that map was worth leaving my family alone. Had my clan not tasked me to get ahold of the item, perhaps I could have saved them... Perhaps Harumi and Satoshi would still be alive."

Kuai heard the sound of teeth gritting together as he looked at Hanzo, who had his jaw tightly clenched, a balled fist lightly slamming onto the floor's surface. The familiar warmth began to increase in heat, turning more into a burning fire.

He didn't want to do this action that sprang into his mind as a notion. He was afraid of any consequences that could pop up if he went through with it. He wasn't sure if this would only drive Hanzo away or, hopefully, connect them more. He was worried of the risks.

But had he not taken more huge risks in his past? He had dared to challenge Kronika, only his anger and vengeance pulling him forward. He reset a timeline, creating another that had risked him losing or gaining more. He had done much more before; why did he feel the need to stop now?

Kuai Liang took the risk, extending his arm out, before wrapping it around Hanzo's shoulder. The touch of his warm, soft skin made his soul quiver, the feeling in his arm and hand so foreign, yet all too familiar.

Hanzo flinched from the sudden touch. It almost seemed as if he would jump away at any moment, not wanting what had come.

Kuai waited for that. He waited in suspense for him to jerk away and protest the action angrily.

He waited...

...

Nothing had happened. There was no sign of rejection, nor any sign of fury. Instead, Hanzo's body relaxed, obliging to the hold on him. His face became looser, as did his tone with the words he let out.

"I'm sorry..." He murmured. "I did not want to vent out my thoughts to you, but I could not hold it in much longer. I just yearn for my family to return once more."

"Hanzo..." Kuai said. "You have no need to apologize. I understand that it pains you at every second of your life now, but... you must accept what happened. I am not saying to forget them, nor to never lose the love you felt for them, but to simply accept that they've passed on, waiting for you to return to them as a wise and mature elder man."

Hanzo's head had been hanging low, his eyes staring at the floor. Kuai could barely see his furrowed eyebrows and light frown transform and soften, his mouth becoming a pained smile.

He huffed with a small laugh. "I am not sure if I am willing to wait till then. I am also not sure whether I'd like to see myself as an old, wrinkly man. My body will be too overused to be able to kombat."

Kuai chuckled at the comment. "I am sure you will be a fine elder. Perhaps, with time, you can even become Grandmaster of the rebuilt Shirai Ryu. They will need someone of much experience."

Hanzo cocked his eyebrow at Kuai, before snickering at the idea. Kuai smiled at him as he laughed to himself a bit more, before calming down.

"That is a wild concept, Tundra! I will give you that!" Hanzo said loudly. "I do not think I am worthy though. I am not sure if I can ever let go of my grief. That baggage would only set me back if I were to be a Grandmaster."

"Well," Began Kuai. "There's still time to grow. We never stop growing, nor do we stop making things up as we go. I truly believe that you will be the best master a clan could ask for."

Hanzo smirked at him, the moonlight shining against the tiny wrinkles formed from his smile. Kuai smiled back, before he looked at the sky now. His focus became solely on the blackness and shining beauty dotted in the sky.

"I now understand why you enjoy residing out here." Commented Kuai Liang. "It is soothing. No fighting. No talking. No dilemmas and no thoughts about the Tournament. It's just quiet and tranquil, even if for only a short moment."

Hanzo nodded.

"Yet..." The ninja began. "I am still plagued by my own thoughts here."

"Would you like to speak on your issues?"

"Not yet. The topic still stings my heart with great capacity."

"Well, if you decide you need someone to listen and help you, please do not hesitate to ask me."

...

"I will be sure to take note of that."

...

"Thank you, Kuai Liang..."

...

"You are welcome, Hanzo."

* * *

_He walked along the path of dirt, the edges growing bright green grass. Scattered throughout the floor were leaves in hues of orange, red, and yellow. The glow from the evening's soon departed sun shown onto the temple, barely outlining against a figure standing outside of the building. _

_He smiled at the sight of Hanzo, his black, long hair shining with an orange tint. He was dressed in a more formal outfit, remnants of his usual battle outfit found on the clothing. The familiar yellow stayed, as did the metal shoulder pads. However, his body had been covered now, the sides exposing his ribs and toned chest no longer open. He was not quite sure if he was okay the choice. _

_But, still, Hanzo looked beautiful. He always did like when he let his hair loose, the length reaching to his shoulders. It just made him look so much more elegant and precious than he already was. _

_Kuai Liang walked closer and closer to Hanzo now, clearly seeing him smiling. The familiar warm aura began to ghost around him now, making him feel so alive. _

_He watched as the other man extended his hand, waiting for him to take ahold of his touch. Instinctively, he began to reach out, the warmth touching his soul. _

_His fingers were just about to graze Hanzo's palms, when a sudden chill struck away the warmth. He recoiled his hand, looking up at his love, but only found pitch black. _

_A new environment began to manifest now. _

_Foggy, dark, dead. Grey and withered to nothing was the sight of Shang Tsung's Island, the location in absolute ruins. He felt the chill still, its presence sending shivers though his body. He watched as many lights began to manifest, moving and transforming before him. _

_In only a few seconds, he could see the lights turn into beings, into people he recognized. _

_He saw Kombatants, and only Kombatants. He could see many old fighters, as well as the newer generation of fighters. There were fighters from different realms and different factions, all fighting amongst each other. _

_Only a small group stood together, fighting away any that got close to their locations. Among the group had been Raiden, Johnny, Sonya, Cassie, Jacqui, and a few others. He wasn't sure why this was happening. He didn't know why he was seeing such a thing. _

_He saw Cassie and Kung Jin, fighting away Frost, who looked crazed and angered. Alongside them, Jacqui and Takeda fought back some figures he couldn't clearly make out, as they were quickly turning back into blobs of light. _

_He was utterly confused about all of this. He didn't know what this was supposed to tell him. What was he supposed to make out of this?_

_Suddenly, as if a switch had been pulled, every fighter and every light being collapsed to the floor in intense pain, clutching their bodies as they began to bleed from their eyes and mouth. He could see some beginning to vomit, others becoming delusional. _

_Then, in an instant, everyone had just died. Nobody had moved anymore. Nobody had been seizing, vomiting, screaming with bloodied throats. It was as if they had been like machines disconnected from their power source. _

_There was no movement, no breathing, and no life._

_Everyone was dead, killed by an unknown force._

_But who was responsible? Who had done such a horrifying and terrible action? And how had they been able to kill so many in just one fell swoop?_

_He was given no answer, and what followed soon after did not help either. _

_The dead Kombatants. Everyone. They all began to become gray, as if their souls - their essences - were being taken away. Appalled, Kuai Liang tried to look for the one responsible, but the view of the massacre began to fade into nothingness. He tried to scan whatever he could, but there was nothing but black now. _

_Panicked, he felt himself beginning to fade as well, his mind beginning to wake back up. _

_All that he heard as he floated in the median of his dreams and reality was a dark, husky voice._

* * *

Kuai jerked awake, his eyes widening. He saw the ceiling of the sleeping quarters, but he quickly got up, finding everyone else asleep. Lustrous moonlight glared through the window of the room as he felt a sudden shiver run down his spine. He could still hear the terrifying voice floating about in his head, almost as if it were tormenting him.

He looked to Hanzo's section of the room, finding it occupied by the man's sleeping form. Growling in frustration, he ran his hand through his hair, needing to find a way to take his mind off the nightmare he had.

He began to think again, reminiscing on his decisions.

Had he truly done a good thing in resetting everything? Was there truly a good ending to this story he was playing out? How was he supposed to go about this situation, and future ones as well?

His nightmare had not helped him in answering his questions either. He was afraid of what this all would lead to. He was not ready to witness a possible armageddon occur amongst his friends and the enemies he had fought alongside his previously close allies.

Kuai Liang became a bit fearful of the possibilities in the future.

Yet, all he could do was hope that he could possibly prevent any sort of situation like those in his dreams.


End file.
